


Once You Speak My Name

by mage_989



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Egypt, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 17:58:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13217961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_989/pseuds/mage_989
Summary: Ten years have past. Lives have gone on, people have changed, but Egypt still hides many secrets beneath its sands.





	1. The Discovery

_"To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again, and restores the breath of life to him who has vanished."_

\- Inscription on the tomb of Tutankhamen

 

Egypt: a land famed for its mysteries and wonders, and on the West bank of the river Nile across from the city of Luxor lay one of the greatest wonders of them all, the Valley of the Kings. Many believed that it had long ago revealed all of its treasures, but that did not stop many from continuing to search for them.

On this day in the east section of the valley away from the throngs of tourists an excavation was under way. As the hot sun beat down on the dry Egyptian sands, the sound of trowels and picks filled the air. A man finished drinking from his canteen and slung it back over his shoulder. Picking up a trowel he went back to his mindless work. Pushing the tool further and further into the earth until he hit some thing that wasn't natural. In shock, he dropped the trowel, began to push the dirt away with his hands to slowly reveal a slab of cut and smoothed limestone. Others began to gather around and someone cried out.

"Sir, we've found something!"

A man turned his head to the sound and quickly made his way over to the small opening at the base of the cliff. Taking a brush from his pocket, he continued to shift the sands aside and revealed the edge of a step.

A small smile moved its way across his lips. "Keep digging," he ordered. And so they did, slowly at first but with more enthusiasm as they dug out step after step until finally they uncovered a dark tunnel leading into the cliff. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. They had dreamed of this, but many didn't dare hope it was, they were so rare after all.

The leader once again came to the forefront. Calling two of his most experienced colleagues to his side, he grabbed several lamps and they moved down the stairs and into the dark abyss beyond.

The lamp light bounced off the walls and created long creepy shadows of the ancient statues. The group shivered as they continued along the hallway. They knew they tread on sacred ground.

"It looks perfectly intact," one man said as they entered the first room, taking in the unmarred walls and the scent of stale air.

The trend continued as they entered the next room. Shining the lights in every corner, they saw that there were no missing items, no graffiti, and no rubble no signs that anyone had been there since its construction.

"A discovery like this hasn't been made in over a century we're going to be famous!"

"I know! Can you believe it?"

The leader of the group put up a hand to silence the others. Though even he was having trouble containing his excitement. This was what they had been hoping and looking for, for so long. It seemed too good to be true, so good in fact, that it had been easy to ignore several strange things in the tomb, like the maze in the room behind them or the monster like carvings under their feet. They stepped off the bridge and for the first time noticed that something was wrong. The leader approached it cautiously he frowned and ran his hand across the empty pedestal.

"Strange," he commented before observing the decorative sealed door behind it. There would time later to study this anomaly in detail later. For now, the true prize if it existed still lay beyond. After a few minutes of searching they found a switch and the door opened to reveal a room filled with personal belongings. Statues, jars, food, everything a man would need for the afterlife. There was no doubt now of what they would find from here.

Fighting the urge to run the team made their way down the final dark hallway and emerged into the burial chamber. The group gaped and gasped at the golden walls and the beautiful hieroglyphs engraved on them. Finally, the leader moved his eyes to the centre of the room. There it was the golden crypt. He approached the wall behind it and traced his fingers over the face of the man who lay in rest and he looked up to read the name of the long forgotten king.

"Atemu."


	2. A Meeting of Two Minds

_"Hurry back to the land of the living_

_Things have changed since you've been gone_

_The world is turning in the land of the living_

_Take a deep breath life goes on."_

_\- Pam Tillis, Land of the Living_

"Sorry, sir!"

"Kids today," an old man huffed as he watched the person who narrowly missed ploughing into him continued barrelling down the street.

Said person unaware of the rather inaccurate criticism simply dashed around a corner and continued his pursuit of a paper fluttering in the wind.

"Got you!" he yelled, jumping up and grabbing the newspaper from the air. After dislodging himself from the well trimmed bush that had broken his fall he sat down on some stone steps and quickly scanned the ads. He sighed in frustration as finished. Nothing, again. _Is there no one is this city who can give me a job? At this rate I'm going to be sleeping in this…where am I anyway?_

He noticed the shadow looming over him and turned around. Craning his head up he looked up at the large red walls of the Museum of Cairo. It was then he noticed the rather large group of people gathered the entrance. I wonder what's going on. He got up from the steps and made his way over to the crowd. Why he felt the need to visit the museum when there were more important things to do was mystery. Still he paid the fee and went in.

People were everywhere. Pressed together in tight groups sipping champagne and pointing to something in the centre of the room, he approached it to see a mummy displayed in a glass case.

There was something very familiar about him. Something about how the wrappings covered the sharp angles of his head, the hands so carefully positioned across his chest. He gasped loudly as it finally dawned on him. _That's me!_

He pressed one hand against the case to keep from falling over in shock. Regaining his self-composure he scanned the room with quick movements of his eyes, no one he noticed seemed to hear his slight outburst. People just continued to talk about the artefacts and what kind of live he must have led. The unveiling was, by all accounts, a great success it appeared. Unbeknownst to him the one who should have been enjoying it the most though stood in a large office on the far side of the museum.

"Mr. Hopekkins, you can't do this! Not after all we've been though look at what we discovered!"

An older man with a cue ball head, bushy moustache, and small rounded framed glasses stood up from his chair and placed his hands firmly on either side of his desk.

"Do not presume to tell me what I can and can not do. You found that tomb by sheer luck and if you can not prove to me that there are anymore in the area I will have to pull my funding."

"But-"

"Good day, Mr. Mutou."

"You-"

"I said good day."

Taking the hint he turned on his heel and walked out, the door slammed closed behind him.

"Bastard," he swore and stormed down the hallway.

All that time and effort and he put it down to beginner's luck. He knew he was the youngest member of the society to be out over seeing excavations he didn't need to be reminded every time he went in there!

He continued walking down the hall his polished dress shoes clicked against the floor. He would have to let so many people go. Many experienced people and by forced to hire amateurs. Ugh…they would be green kids fresh out of college. He knew what they were like, having been one himself not so very long ago. From what he could piece together anyway.

Looking back on it there were things everyone wished they'd done differently to prevent it. That they should have gone up later in the day when visibility was better, or worn better gear, or known that the rock was unstable, but they hadn't.

_"You're sure it's this way, Mike?"_

_"Trust me, boss, I know this place like the back of my hand."_

_It all happened in an instant. The rock underneath his foot gave way. He cried out in surprise as he lost his balance and fell head first down the incline. Those with him could stare in horror as he continued down the slope tumbling over rocks and dirt finally coming to rest in heap at the bottom and blood began pooling around his head._

He moved his fingers across the healed wound that had had him waking up in a hospital bed two days later.

_"Hey, Mike, he's awake!"_

_"That's great! You really had us worried, boss."_

_"All right everyone out!" A nurse yelled coming in, and all but throwing the men out of the room before shining lights directly in his eyes and asking questions._

_"What is your name?"_

_"Yugi Mutou."_

_"Do you know where you are?"_

_"A really ugly hospital room."_

_"A proper answer, Mr. Mutou, please this is a serious matter."_

_"Cairo, Egypt."_

_"Do you know your birth date?"_

_"June 4. Is there a reason for all these inane questions?"_

_"As a matter of fact there is. I am trying to see how bad your injury is. Do you remember what happened?"_

_"A little bit. I remember climbing up some rocks and losing my balance. After that, nothing."_

_The nurse nodded and went back to her tests._

The doctors had told him he was in good health and sent him home, but it didn't take long to find out that the fall had caused more damage than they thought.

_He arrived home and immediately went into the bathroom to shave two weeks worth of beard from his face. He really had to start remembering to bring the kit with him to the site. Finishing up, he decided to check his email certain it would be full after his impromptu vacation. He clicked on the newest entry and frowned at the subject. News from the Game shop?_

_Hello, Yugi_

_Bet you never thought your old grandfather would be so techno savvy did you? I pick it up used and Joey helped set it up. Something about paying me back for all those Duel Monsters cards and lessons. And you young whippersnappers and your faster ways to talk to people I will never understand why we need a symbol for at. I'm grateful Joey was willing to talk me through it so I could send this to you, but never tell him I told you that!_

_Yugi closed the window in utter confusion. Grandfather? Joey? Who is that? He stared at a picture on the desk. It showed what appeared to by a younger version of himself giving two peace signs to the camera. Three people were crowded around him in the same pose. But he didn't even know their names let alone when the picture might have been taken. He swung the chair around to look at the other pictures that adorned the wall and found himself surrounded by the faces of people he didn't know. Papers stood in black frames praising him for things he didn't remember doing._

_Why don't I recognize any of this stuff! He thought franticly, his hands clenched his hair as he let his head fall between his knees to try and stop the world from spinning out of control._

He had what the doctors called retrograde amnesia. They told him he would be unable to recall events before the accident possibly forever and after much confusion and denial he accepted it and began to focus on what he could remember. He knew where he was and why he was here and every person on his team, but everything that happened before arriving in Egypt was empty.

They had recommended he look up anyone from his hometown, talk to them ask them to tell him about his life before the accident. To check old photo albums and mementos anything that might help jog his memory. He hadn't done that. He'd looked at all the things in his house of course it was rather hard not to, but he never told anyone else what had happened. Something in side of him told him not to, to wait and let them come back on their own if they ever did.

He snapped out of his thoughts with a small shake of his head this was not the time to dwell on personal problems. He was the guest of honour after all and they were expecting him to be pleasant. With that in mind he plastered a smile on his face and went to greet people.

***

Two hours later Yugi felt like his face was frozen and his fingers were ready to fall off. Thankfully people were getting their fill of this discovery and were starting to trickle out of the museum. As the crowds parted Yugi noticed a man standing by the case housing the mummy. He frowned in concentration trying to think of where he had seen him before, and he realized he'd seen him when he'd first come in the room looking at the artifacts and that he now seemed root to his spot, just staring at the mummy.

Yugi looked the man over. He seemed to be about his age, maybe younger or maybe it was his hair that was throwing that off. It was almost identical to the way Yugi had his several years ago, long black spikes outlined in red with blond streaks running through them. His eyes were sharp and deep red as if he had outlined them in kohl. Between that and the dark colour of his skin Yugi would have passed him off as a local, if not for the fact that he seemed to have no idea where he was. His bright blue jeans didn't mesh with the dark dress pants of the others in the room. His shirt while white lacked sleeves, displaying his well toned arms, and his belt with its gleam of plated gold just screamed liberal thinker in a place filled with stuffed shirts.

He approached the person and stood beside him.

"I see you enjoy being in the presence of a king."

The man looked over at Yugi and half smirked before answering. "Yes he is very captivating."

"It will be nice when this is over. A man of his stature should be able to rest in peace, not be ogled at like same circus sideshow act."

_Nice to see at least one person here has some respect for the dead or not in this case I guess._

"Are you here to study this new piece?"

"No it's just that's always interested me. A life long fascination really."

Yugi smiled at him. Wow, someone who enjoys this just for the sake of it I haven't met someone like that in quite some time.

"What's your name?"

He looked at the floor as he realized he was faced with a dilemma. To tell him he had the same name as the mummy on display, oh that would go over so well indeed, but what other name could he give that he might actually remember? Yugi cleared his throat to remind him he still needed to give an answer.

"Sorry lost in my thoughts for a moment. Adam my name is Adam."

"Well, Adam, it's nice to meet you," Yugi said and held out his hand. Adam accepted the gesture.

"Likewise."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as Yugi debated whether or not to voice his offer. _Why not? He thought. I have to get new people anyway, might as well try to get someone who really likes these kinds of things._

"You know I plan to continue working the site of the tomb. And I'm looking for people with an interest in studying these kinds of things." He pulled out a card and handed to Adam. "Let them know if you're interested." With that he walked off leaving Adam to his thoughts.

Adam just stood there dumbfounded. He was willing to offer him a job just like that?! With no questions asked, no desire for experience, not even a simple background check! It was too good to be true. He stared at the small white card with the name Yugi Mutou embossed in gold letters in the corner. He turned around and watched him leave the room. He certainly seemed like a nice man if a bit weird.

_Perhaps spending the day here wasn't such a bad idea after all._


	3. Among the Dunes

_“A young man who…was more than what he seemed.  A diamond in the rough.”_

__

__

_-Disney’s _Aladdin_  _

The sun was high up in the sky as Yugi surveyed his crew.  Taking in the wide eyes of those that dreamed of adventure and fame and those that looked like they would rather be back home in bed.  Only a handful knew of the long hot days of tedium and frustration that lay ahead.  _A perfect picture of the blind leading the blind._

“All right, people seeing as how our funders were not as much in awe of our discovery as we were I have been forced to make several cutbacks.”

The air filled with groans. 

“Yes I can tell you are all thrilled.  Now we are going to be forced to do this the old-fashioned way.  The work will be hard and the days will be long and there is a very good chance we will come back with nothing to show for our efforts, and on that optimistic note let’s move out!”

As people began to pile their bags together and make their way to their seats Yugi began to tick off those who had shown up to prevent any stowaways.  His discovery was still popular and he wouldn’t put it past anybody to try sneaking on board.  As the crowd began to thin out he noticed that Adam wasn’t amongst the clumps of people boarding the bus.  He was though he would never admit it, disappointed.  They had connected on some level and he had secretly been looking forward to having at least one other person there who had the same views as he did.

He sighed _oh well no use getting upset about it_ he thought and prepared to get take his seat.  Just then he saw Adam running up to him his faced flushed and his hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

“I am so sorry I’m late, but public transit is hell.”

“Tell me about it.  Nice to see you made it though.”

“So, um where do I go?” 

“Well you did have an assigned spot, but that was five minutes ago.” 

“I’m-” 

“So, you can sit with me I’d enjoy the company.”

With that they both got on and the bus pulled out.  Adam let his forehead rest against as the bus rolled over the road.  The buildings flashed by and he thought about the reality of his situation.  _What am I doing here?_  

As if reading his mind Yugi spoke to him.

“I get the feeling you don’t want to be here.”

“Hmm?”

“For someone who said they enjoyed these things I expected you to be more excited. Compared to the rest of us you are practically comatose.”

“Oh, of course I’m very grateful for your offer it is just that I-well I’m not really cut out for this kind of thing.  I mean I really haven’t had any training.”

“It’s all right almost everybody here is new to this and we wouldn’t pick those who are completely incompetent.” 

“Hey, Gerry, I bet I can launch this right over that cow!”  Came a shout from the back of the bus.

“I think.”

Yugi sighed deeply and slouched in his seat. 

“Stupid open door policy,” he muttered.

“A what?”

“There has been a recent drop in post-secondary students interested in Egyptology.  So the heads of the department decided to offer expeditions such as this as a field course.  Now I get to deal kids that are only here because they think they can earn some easy credits not because they actually want to learn anything.”

He bit his tongue as he remembered whom he was talking to and how he must be coming off as a snobby elitist.

“Um…No offence to you of course.”

“None taken, Mr. Mutou.”

“Please call me Yugi.  Being called Mr. Mutou makes me feel old.”

“As you wish…Yugi.”

“So, exactly why did you want to come if you didn’t feel qualified?”

“As I mentioned to you at the exhibit I do have an interest in this sort of thing, and to perfectly honest I am desperate for a job.  I didn’t really plan this out before coming here.” 

“Yeah, the spur of the moment things of youth, how old are you anyway?  If you don’t mind my asking.” 

“Six-uh twenty-six, twenty-six.”

Yugi nodded.  They lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Adam decided to continue the game of twenty questions.

“So what exactly are we doing at the site?”

“Well you are certainly ready to get down to business aren’t you?”

“I prefer to have a direction to focus on.  After all it looks like we have enough people who think this is going to be some extended beach vacation with pay.”

“No doubt mostly we’re going out to fill in the details about his life.”

“Haven’t you already done that?  I mean I heard everybody talking about during the unveiling.  Surely you know everything about me-I mean him.”

“We don’t know that much actually.  We still need to figure out where he fits in our established line of pharaohs and how he ruled, for how long, what he did during his reign those kinds of things.  There is also the hope that will make another big discovery as my boss is stomping his feet like a five year old because I didn’t get him a big enough Christmas present,” he said addressing the last part mostly to the floor.

“Why is he not impressed with what you have achieved?”   

“Oh, it’s a personal issue nothing for you to be concerned about,” Yugi said waving the question off and giving him a small smile as if Adam was supposed to be comforted by his answer. 

Not wanting to push the issue further, especially when he remembered that Yugi was still his boss, he let it drop and sat back in his seat.  It didn’t stop him from being slightly concerned though.  The man seemed just a bit over stressed about the whole situation.

_Of course he could save himself a lot of time and effort if he just asked me what he wants to know._

*** 

When they finally arrived Yugi got everybody together to go over the procedures and rules.

“As I’ve said before we will by doing a lot of things by hand there will be no fancy machines to help us.  My colleagues and myself,” he gestured towards the man and woman to his left, “will be in charge of all aspects of the excavation and as such are your authority figures.  The cliffs and the tomb itself are off limits until we say otherwise.  No one is allowed up there without proper equipment and I find anyone up where they are not supposed and they will be off this dig.”

“So, what?  You’re going send us to our room until mommy comes.”

Yugi levelled a glare at the man making the smart-ass comments and he quickly walked over.  Coming to tower over him despite being shorter and the man shrank back.

“You act like a spoiled brat I will treat you as such,” Yugi quipped and stepped back again.

With that they were sent off to get ready.  The tents were set up in short order and now everyone was in the process of unpacking and enjoying the small amount of down time that was left before the real work began. Yugi having dumped his clothes on his cot, not being a neat person outside of his paperwork after all, started to set up his make shift half-bathroom.  What he wouldn’t give for a proper place to relax in.  They hadn’t even been on site a whole day yet and already people were getting on his nerves.  It then he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and was surprised to see a small piece of blond hair sticking up from the sea of black.  Running one hand over the area he reached for a pair of scissors preparing to cut off the lock.  He liked to keep his hair very short thinking it gave him a more professional look.  Still looking at it again it was rather nice like this and he decided it was time to grow it out long again and put the pair of scissors back on the table.     

Meanwhile outside several artefacts from the tomb had been set up on a table.  Adam and a few others had gathered around to look at them.  Adam was at the moment trying to figure a message on a piece of stone

“Respect may enter, engulfed by the pit of shadows,” he read aloud.

It was obviously part of some sort of tablet, but where was the rest of it? 

“You understand this?” A woman on his right asked.

Adam shrugged. “Yes don’t you?” He asked putting the piece down again.

“Not all of us show off and suck up you know.”

Taken a back Adam blinked before replying, “I wasn’t aware I was doing either.” 

One of the more experienced members of the excavation team came up and picked up the fragment Adam had just been looking at. “He’s right about the phrase and don’t insult one another.  This is supposed to be a team building exercise.” 

Those at the table paid the man no heed as the minute he walked away they started right back up again.

“We saw you trying to get in with the boss,” another man hissed at him from across the table. 

“And you assume I was doing this why?”

“Hey, don’t play dumb we all know this is just a big competition to get a good recommendation from him you just got the lucky first shot.” 

“Oh, yes I did just to usurp you guys and not because oh, I don’t know it was the only seat left on the bus.”  _Are we all still in the fourth grade or what?_

“All lot of good it did you Mr. Mutou is like a living fortress.  He is a totally snob.  The man knows like four languages and I heard he’s trying German now for fun!  None of us would ever be his type.”

“No doubt.  I mean look at what he does for a living.  Nobody actually likes to look at old dirty junk all day.” 

“If you don’t like archaeology what are you doing here?” Adam asked genuinely surprised at all the vitriol they were giving about being here considering they had signed up for it.  He also wanted to deliver a swift kick to the nether-regions to each of them for talking like that about Yugi.  Why he wasn’t sure considering he hadn’t known the man very long and it was possible all the stuff on the bus was just an act.  

“To get some easy credit and something to put on my resume what else?”

_Well I thought it was about learning, but apparently that was a stupid view on my part._

*** 

A few days later Adam was setting up a grid pattern in the sand.  And the long days had given new insight on his planning skills, he realized that on his list of important things to buy before coming here a hat should have been on the top.  The bandana his was wearing provided almost no protection and it was totally destroying his hair to boot.  

“Here.” 

He looked to see Yugi holding a light blue baseball in his hand.

“Thank you,” he said eternally grateful to have something that didn’t make him look like a grandmother going shopping.

“So, it’s not so hard after all is it?” 

“No not really.  Of course it would go by faster with another person.”

Without a word Yugi picked up the string and helped him to continue marking off the area. 

“W-Well I didn’t actually mean you.” 

“You want me to go find someone with less experience?”

“Gods no!  Those people are abhorrent that’s like giving a drowning man a rock.  Um-wait no that’s not what I meant I just.”  He sighed in embarrassment.  “You know am I just going to shut up before I make an even bigger fool of myself.”

Yugi found it strangely enduring watching Adam get totally flustered. “You know despite what Mike keeps telling everybody about this being a team building deal, all for one and one for all, you don’t actually have to like anybody here.”

“Then I hope you don’t mind me asking this, Yugi, but why are you so attached to me?  Not that I mind I mean, but there are at least fifty other people here.  Why am I so great?” 

“Hmm, let’s just say I find you interesting and besides you’re one of the few people who gets it when I say I want a 10 by 10 grid.”

“Coming from you I will take that as a compliment.” 

“Good because I meant it as one.”

The worked together for the next hour as the sun’s rays kept beaming down on them.  Adam pushed his bangs, that were tangled with sweat, out of his eyes for the fifth time and wished they could have some cloud cover.  Yugi obviously had the same desire as he unbuttoned another button from his shirt.  It was about halfway undone now revealing to Adam his very well toned chest leaving little doubt that a well developed six pack lay lower still.  This time he noticed something even more interesting though: a small silver cartouche now dangled free around Yugi’s neck and it was bearing his name in hieroglyphics.  Adam gasped and pressed his hand against his own feeling the edges beneath his shirt and stood there gaping. 

Yugi looked over and caught his eye.  Taking one hand off his shovel he ran his fingers along the smooth muscles.   

“I should enjoy this while I still have it.”

Adam snapped out of his stupor, had the good sense to look embarrassed, and started back to work.  After all he reflected it was such a revelation seeing as those things could be bought in any tourist shop.  Still the thought stayed with him that there was something more to it than being a simple trinket.  His mind kept telling him that there should have been something else around his neck.  Something held by a thicker chain, but what he couldn’t begin to imagine.

***

Yugi couldn’t help but stare as he finished clearing up the tools for the day.  He eyes tuned to the only one who had yet to complain about a single thing here.  Thus in his mind the only decent person out of the whole lot of newbies.  Adam was leaning against a table his gaze intense as ever looking out into the distance.  He had turned out to be a great edition to the team he worked hard and was a quick study, and what he lacked in experience he made up for with totally enthusiasm.  He did seem a bit anti-social though.  Not that that meant much Yugi himself wasn’t making any friends either.  It wouldn’t have surprised him to find half the people here had a picture of him with a blacked out tooth and devil horns.  So, with all that in front of him he came to one definite conclusion. 

_I like him._

He continued to watch as a man approached Adam Tomas or Taylor he thought his name who if he was judging the situation correctly had been a large thorn in Adam’s side since they’d arrived.  He watched as Adam stuck out his leg catching the other man’s ankle and sent him sprawling to the desert floor.

“Hey!”

“Did I do that?  Oh, clumsy me.”

Yugi stifled his laughter behind his hand.

_Oh, I like him a lot._


	4. Searching

_“Not all treasure is sliver and gold, mate.”_

__

__

_-Jack Sparrow _, Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl__

The weeks began to pass by and new pieces of the puzzle about the pharaoh’s tomb were slowly unearthed.   More pieces to the tablet Adam had been reading at the start of the dig had been recovered, but still not enough to know the entire message.  Two small sharp objects that resembled needles, and one person had been caught trying to make off with the jewelled eyes of two snake statures.  Now Yugi and his team were left to piece together the puzzle with the pieces they had.

“This just doesn’t make sense.  How could there not be any tombs or pathways connecting to his?  He should have been married, but we haven’t found any evidence of a wife or even a concubine.”

“Unless there was a reason for him to not be married.”

“Yes, but what could have been so important to bypass something like that?”

“I don’t know.”

“It would help if we knew where he fell in the established timeline.  If we knew who ruled before him we could figure out the circumstances of his reign and why nothing about him seems to fit our known historic mould.” 

Yugi was about to speak up when a voice suddenly flashed through his mind.  _I am the son of king Aknamkanon my name is Atemu!_   His hands clenched in his lap. _What the hell was that?_

“What do you think we should do?” 

Yugi didn’t say anything, he continued to stare at the tabletop trying to process whatever memory or vision he had just had.

“Dr. Mutou?  Yugi?”

Finally getting himself back to reality he stood up from the table. “I think we need to go back in for a more detailed search.”

“You want to go into the tomb again?”

“Yes.”

“Have you been given clearance?”

“No and the rate they are going we never will be.” 

“Everybody keeps getting all freaked over some weird maze or statue and comes running out looking like they seen the bogey monster or something.” 

“All the more reason for us to go in isn’t it?” 

“Maybe, I mean we haven’t even figured out what’s missing from that one room.” 

“How do we know anything even is missing?” 

“Why would you build a room with a pedestal as the centre piece and then leave it empty?  No there was something there the questions are what was it, and where is it now?” 

“Why indeed and one thing is for sure we aren’t getting any answers standing around in here.  We will discuss this further in the morning.”

The meeting adjourned and the members began to clean up and turn in for the night, never realising that they were being watched. 

Adam not having hit it off with the others had taken up residency in the far corner of the tent closest to the door.  He peeked through the flap again to try and see what the others were doing.  He watched the lamplight slowly flicker in the largest tent before two people emerged and the light died out for the night.  However, the tent’s occupant didn’t turn in instead he too left the tent and began walking towards the edge of camp.  Adam hesitated for a moment before crawling out of his sleeping bag and walking after him.

“You’ll catch your death of cold out here you know.”

Yugi turned around and smiled at him.

“And you will catch yourself a healthy dose of sleep deprivation if you don’t get some rest.”

“Sleep is for young people.”

“Funny I didn’t think you considered yourself old.”

“I have an old soul.”

“Aren’t you poetic.”

“Have you found out anything new?”

“No.”

“So, why the midnight stroll?”

He sighed. “I want to back into the tomb.  Surveying the area around it can’t help us anymore.  To go back in now though would be breaking protocol.”

“So, you’ve come across a crossroads so to speak.”

Yugi nodded and looked out towards the horizon in deep thought.

Adam simply let him think for moment he knew what it was like, he was standing at one too it seemed.  He wished to confess everything to Yugi if he knew who he was he wouldn’t have to work so hard and lose so much sleep to solve the mystery of the pharaoh.  Still he knew that if he revealed that he was the pharaoh they were studying back from the dead Yugi would waste no time in carting him off to the loony bin.  However, he thought if he went with him, the tomb no doubt had his image all over it, if he just hinted at the connection and allowed Yugi to make his own conclusions then he wouldn’t be labelled as insane and perhaps he could even persuade Yugi to help him figure out his own problems.  There was some big piece of the picture that he was missing he was sure of it.  He was very comfortable around Yugi, being able to be alone with him in the middle of the night was proof enough of that, yet they weren’t even really friends just a boss and an employee who happened to be able to have a couple of civil conversations that was all.  Still he knew there was something there he just needed help figuring out what it was.       

“If you do go in, may I accompany you?”

Yugi nodded.  “Of course I would be happy to have you with us.”

***

When morning came it was decided that it would be too risky to have everyone of the advanced members go down and possible forfeit their jobs and maybe their lives, so Yugi agreed to into the tomb with anyone else who volunteered.

Standing at the entrance with Adam he tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the other two men two join them.  _Of all the people why did it have to be them? Oh, well at least I am not the only one who has to suffer._  He thought sparing a look over at Adam who seemed to be just as pissed off as he was.  He sighed and took off his hat and fanned his face feeling the cool air rush through his bangs that were becoming just long enough to be in his eyes and thus a real bother. 

“I’d recommend a hair gel to keep those back.”

“Would you happen to have any on you?”

Adam pulled out a small tube and handed it to Yugi.

“Thank you,” He said putting in on and then trying to give it back.

“Keep it, it was free sample and I have two more just like it.”

“That you stole from your neighbours no doubt.”

“Both of my neighbours are bald what use would they have had for it?”

He noticed the strange looks Tom and Gerry were giving him, having finally made it to the door. 

“What?  You’ve never seen a guy with blond hair before?”

“I just noticed that you guy’s look alike are you brothers or something?”

“No.”

With that blunt answer the team of four made their way down the steps and began sweeping their lights across the walls.

“Creepy this is just creepy.”

In his head Adam had to agree with Tom much as he despised the man there was something in the air that sent shivers down his spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.  _Probably because I am not supposed to be wandering around in my own tomb, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all._

Making there way into the first room they made their way into the maze one by one everyone aware that one miss-step and they’d have a long time to say goodbye. Suddenly the statues creaking and groaning started to swing their swords, ready to cut down anyone or anything in their paths.

“This didn’t happen the first time!”

“Then there must be a solution!”

Yugi thought hard what had done differently the first time?  He remembered they had shuffled their way across to spread out their weight in case any of the rock was loose.  He stepped forward on his right foot, and narrowly missed being hit be the board side of one of the swords.  _Okay so it’s not the right foot!_ Quickly he thrust his left foot forward as the statue prepared to swing again and then it abruptly stopped. 

“Walk with your left foot forward!”

“Why!?”

“Well you can trust him or you can become Julian fries take your pick!”  Adam yelled re-adjusting his own stance.

The remaining two shut up and did as they were told.  Slowly each person made it across and breathed a sigh of relief.  Slightly shaken, but still determined they pressed on to the next room.

Both Adam and Yugi made it across the bridge with ease, taking notes of the carvings for further investigation, but the others were not so lucky.  Focused only on their desires of fame for being brave enough to come down here and the riches they were sure to find in some secret room they’d read so much about they didn’t notice the black curls of smoke rising up from the stone carvings.  The creature from the stone grabbed them with no effort at all and held them both tightly within its claws and began to squeeze. Gerry and Tom began screaming terror.

Yugi and Adam whirled around and called out to them. 

“You can’t show fear!”

“Your heart has to be pure!”

Their cries went unheeded as the men just kept screaming.

Now worried for their own safety both of them stepped back and as they did Yugi brushed against Adam’s shoulder.  Somehow and he wasn’t sure how with that touch Adam felt the familiar surge of magical energy begin to course through his veins, and the prickly sensation of the eye on his forehead.  On instinct he closed his eyes and began to focus his power hoping he could find some way to help.  He heard the others gasp and looked up at as the blue ball of light burst to reveal his creature.  _Mahad!_   _Impossible!_ He did not have the puzzle and the tablets no doubt lay miles underground.  He should not have been able to summon anything!  Least of all a monster so strong!  Yet there he was solid as stone and the connection was so strong that he didn’t even need to voice his commands as the magician unleashed his attack on the other monster.

The ball of dark magic struck its target and the beast vanished in haze of smoke.  The two men fell to the stone and wasted no time getting out of the tomb as if their pants were on fire.  Adam collapsed to the floor, hitting the stone pedestal on his way down, and Yugi soon joined him.

“What just happened?” Yugi asked.

“Something that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“I gathered that.”

“So what do we do now?”

“We go back up there and try to piece together what we have just seen.”

“You’re not at all worried about what those two will say about what went on here.” 

“People may be superstitious but they are not stupid two young kids try to tell people they were attacked by a monster and no one is going to believe them.”

“You know kids today really have no backbones.”

“I know.  You’d think they’ve never stared death in the face before.”

“Indeed.”

Yugi looked at Adam fully and noticed the sheen of sweat on his face and his laboured breathing.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

Yugi looked down. “Yeah, cause fine people always have blood running down their arm.”

Adam followed his gaze and took notice of the small river of red snaking its way down from a cut near his shoulder.

“Okay so I’m not so fine.”

“Come on let’s get it cleaned up.”

***

Taking him to the first aid tent and assuring the attendant that it wasn’t a serious injury and she could continue to treat the others who were curled up in a corner spouting gibberish.  Yugi carefully began to clean the wound, Adam flinched under his touch.

“Sorry!  I’ve worked too hard with my hands.  I know they’re very rough.”

“No it’s really fine I’m just not use to touch that’s all.”  _Especially your touch._   

When the wound was dressed, Yugi stood at the tent entrance and watched Adam leave after promising to discuss the day’s events with him later.  Feeling another’s eyes on him he turned to see the attendant looking at him.

“I know that look, Afya, what is on your mind?”

“He is just another guy on this dig and you treat him like the crown jewels.  Why do you care about him so much?”

“I don’t know.  He just does something to me.”

“So you love him then?”

He let out a small laugh. “No that’s not it, you read too many romance novels.” Yugi sighed. “He seems familiar to me that’s all.  It’s as if I know him from somewhere I just can’t figure out where.”

It would have been normal to assume that he simply didn’t remember Adam because of the accident, but Yugi knew that wasn’t the case.  If they had known each other in Yugi’s past he would have said something.  Still it didn’t change the fact that he felt really good when he was with Adam.  It wasn’t that heart pumping weak at the knees feeling, but it seemed really…right.  As if he should, no must be with him as much as humanly possible, and Yugi wasn’t about to fight that urge.  So he simply filed his questions of Adam away in his head in the growing pile that he had affectionately titled: What the hell is going on here?

 


	5. Thinking of You

_Minutes and hours and years may go by_

_But my heart knows nothing of time_

_-Reba Mcentire, Forever Love_

 

It came as no surprise that after the complete disaster of the first voyage into the tomb no one wanted to go inside again.  Leaving Yugi and Adam alone to continue exploring the underground caverns as the others continued excavating the areas around it.  At the moment they were in the burial chamber, trying to make the pieces of the pharaoh’s life fit together for the third time in as many days.  Everything was just wrong.  Well okay maybe not everything, they had speculated that he had ruled during the Middle Kingdom and everything in the tomb placed him there.  It was obvious that his reign had been short the pictures showed that.  The hieroglyphics were the same style as those he had seen in other tombs, but that was where the similarities ended and things started to get strange.  Here half the images looked like they belonged in the children’s card game Duel Monsters.  He still hadn’t figured why those first two rooms looked nothing like any other tombs he had ever been in before or why a tomb that seemed perfectly intact would have fragments of tablets and statues surrounding it. 

Then there was his new partner.  He looked over at Adam who was making notes and rubbings of anything important.  It constantly stunned Yugi to see just how similar Adam was to the portraits on the walls.  The jaw line, the hair naturally, the aura of authority that just seemed to command his attention.  Yugi had started to wonder if there might be some connection between them, perhaps some long lost ancestral link or something.  They really did looked too much alike…

He quickly shook his head at the ridiculous thought.  They hadn’t even found any evidence to prove that the pharaoh had so much as had sex let alone sired any children, and here he was thinking up complicated scenarios for long lost relations.  _When this is all done I need to take a very long vacation._

Adam stepped back and tripped over the edge of a rock that jutted out above the others on the floor.  Kneeling down to look at it he found that it was loose. 

“What the…”

Both he and Yugi pushed it aside and found a staircase leading down below the floor.   They looked at each other, both of them clearly confused as to what something like that was doing here.  

Wandering down the dark passageway they arrived at small room with nothing in it except a bridge that connected to another corridor that appeared to lead back to the surface. Yugi shivered, he felt a dark presence here and was wary to cross the bridge.  He had the distinct feeling he had been here before and he knew that was impossible.  _A vacation definitely a vacation_ he thought rubbing his hand over his face trying to get rid of creepy feeling. 

Adam looked at him, concerned.

“Are you all right?”

“Fine.”

“Which of course is code for, I feel lousy and don’t want people to worry.  Have you been sleeping well?”

“Sleep is for young people.”

He snorted. “And you’re not young?”

“Oh, please I’m closer to thirty than I am to twenty five that official makes me ancient.”

“Well then you look very good for an old man.”

“Thank you.” He looked back to the bridge _all right let’s do this.  It’s just another room._

He steeled himself and was just about to cross the chasm when a voice came over the walkie-talkie.

“Yugi, we need you topside.”

Yugi rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. “It’s always something,” he grabbed the device and answered, “I’ll be right there.”

Both of them made their back to the surface where his two partners were waiting for him at the tomb entrance.

“I thought I made it clear we were not to be disturbed.”

“I know, sir, but we have company.”

“What kind of company?”

“Official company.”

“Lovely.”

Yugi turned his attention to the men in dark, well pressed, business suits and approached them.

“Dr. Mutou.”

“How may I help you gentlemen?”

“It has come to our attention that you have gone again regulations and seeing you come out of there confirms our suspicions.”

“Well nothing gets by you guys.”

“Dr. Mutou, I don’t believe you understand the seriousness of your situation.”

“Do explain.”

The men began a long rambling speech of rules and protocol.  Meanwhile Adam watched the spectacular unfold, growing increasingly edgy.  Who did they think they were to just barge in here like this?  He shifted the sand at his feet to try and suppress an incredible desire to run in front of Yugi and defend him with a lot fewer civilized words, even if they posed no physical threat because…because it was Yugi damn it!  That was reason enough!

Yugi eventually cut off them off before he embarrassed himself by yawning.  “Have you two come to do something or do you just like to hear yourselves talk?”

“We must ask you to cease all activities and leave immediately.”

“And if I were to decline?”

“If you do not we will be forced to use other, less pleasant, measures.”

“Is that a threat?”

“That is a promise.”

_I hate my life._

***

With no other choice everything was packed up and all the workers were sent home.  Once everyone was back in Cairo Yugi was left to resolve the issue of how to cut through all the red tape and get back to the dig site, and after several days of jumping through bureaucratic hoops he was ready to give it all up and take up ice fishing in the artic.  So, like so many before him, Yugi did what all great people do when faced with a problem, he found something else to worry about.  Today it was Adam.  He hoped he was all right after he said he had needed a job so badly.  Yugi certainly didn’t want him to suffer on his account, _and_ _why do I care so much anyway?_   That feeling of needing to be close to Adam had not diminished in fact it had gotten worse since he had come home, perhaps that was why he thought about him so much.  He still didn’t know why he felt like that though.  Was it possible he had known him earlier in his past and Adam has simply not seen fit to mention it?  Yugi thought back to all the pictures he had looked through, but no he hadn’t been in any of the albums, and he knew that if someone was important in his life there would be multiple pictures of them, as there were of so many other people. 

He had several pictures of the blond boy Joey and his friend with short brown who he figured out was Tristan.  There was Téa Gardner and Yugi only knew her name because she looked the same as the woman on a Broadway show advertisement.  There was some guy with a long black ponytail and a dice for an earring, that Yugi thought he had seen on the news the other night.  There had even been pictures of the world famous CEO Seto Kaiba and his brother _._   Yet not one photograph of Adam. Not even a flash of hair or a dark skinned arm just outside the frame or in the background.  Leading him to his original question, if he hadn’t ever met him before then why did he feel such a connection to the man?  He had offered him a job after less than five minutes of conversation.  Even he, as trusting as he was, knew better than to do that.  So what was it about him that made him feel better just by being around him?  He continued to brood over it for quite some time and still no answer came to him.

***

Back at his apartment Adam was in the shower and having several arguments with himself as well and all were focused on Yugi.  He knew he should really be looking for another job to tide him over while he tried to find his reason for being brought back, but he decided he would rather think of something more pleasant.  Like Yugi Adam was left to wonder why he felt such and need to be close to Yugi, to have Yugi understand him.  More importantly, why had he felt such a desire to protect him?  It wasn’t like he needed it!  The man was nearly twice his size.  He might be taller too, but he couldn’t be sure, they would have to stand side by side with no shoes on. Of course then it might be better to take socks off as well.  If they were going to get rid of the socks, they might as well just do away with the pants and _oh, bad thoughts!  Bad thoughts!_   Trying to pull his mind out the gutter he focused on other aspects of the man.  He was an incredibly hard worker, had to be with those strong muscles and sun burnt skin.  He was a good leader, his voice, deep, and so much like his own yet with just a hint of gentleness of a compassionate soul.  _Well that was a fine effort, great job!_ He thought sarcastically and groped for the tap so the water ran cold, leaning back against the wall as the cold liquid blasted out from the showerhead.  Well this was just great!  He was finally getting his life together and now he had to start acting like a horny teenager and about his boss no less!  That was just sick and wrong.

Getting out of the shower he tried to shake the disturbing thoughts from his mind.  This wasn’t what he thought he was it couldn’t be.  He was merely grateful to Yugi for giving him a job and allowing him to work so closely with him.  He just admired such a nice man who was willing to do so much for someone he barely knew and who he hoped was all right with having his dig be shut down.  Perhaps he might run into him and be able to thank him for his generosity.  He might even be able to comfort him and _argh!_   _Okay enough of that.  Just focus on something else, anything else._ Scanning the room quickly he decided he would go do something mindless and began gathering up clothes and he decided that afterwards he was going to go do something for himself.

***

He is there and yet he is not really there.  His arms are transparent yet they are gripped tightly around someone and then that someone speaks.

_“Let go.”_

_“No you don’t know what you’re doing!”_

_“We must do this.  Now let me go!”_

_The arm is pulled from his grip and he drifts away from the man.  He begs and then screams as the darkness becomes complete and overwhelming._

_“NO!”_

Yugi eyes snapped open and he shot up in bed. Gasping for breath and trying to calm his racing heart.  His eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light and he saw his desk and closet. _A dream just a dream._   What a dream though it had all felt so real. 

When he eventually calmed down he noticed that the light in the hall had burnt out.  Yugi got up to fetch a chair grateful to have something to take his mind off the disturbing dream.  Others would have thought it was strange that he would to change the bulb in the middle night, but he had always left this one light on.  Not because he was afraid of the dark, but because he felt he should just to let someone out there know where he was.   Who he was wanting for was anyone’s guess, but he did it all the same.  With the task finished he lay down again, but didn’t fall asleep for a long time.

Meanwhile on the other side of the city Adam watched the world from a couch closest to the window thinking about the dream or more like nightmare he’d just woken up from.  Yugi was there, or at least he thought it was him.  The man in his dream had longer hair but the colour was right the eye were his too, except a bit wider than they were now, a younger Yugi then?  But if they had known each other years ago why hadn’t Yugi said something?  Had he hurt Yugi in someway and they had had a falling out?  It seemed possible that dream or vision or whatever it was implied that he betrayed Yugi and gone against his wishes.  Still if that was the case, why had Yugi hired him and acted like his friend?  And how could have possibly known Yugi anyway he had hadn’t existed during his time as pharaoh.  None of it made any sense.  Using one of his new studs as a distraction he gently rotated it, making a mental note to pick up more cleaning solution next time he was out.  Maybe there was nothing meaningful about his dream after all.  Maybe this was all just his mind’s way of telling him he spent too much time cooped up in his apartment thinking and should go out and get a hobby. 

Suddenly he saw a light in the distance.  Even with so many were still glowing around the city that one seemed somehow brighter than them all, like a beacon almost.  Was it a beacon then?  Was it showing him where he needed to be, what he was here to do?  He had to be here to do something after all.  The Gods wouldn’t bring him back without some sort of purpose, and that purpose had to be to protect and guide someone it was what he had done as king to his people there was no other possibility there couldn’t be.  _Right?_

***

Yugi sat on the edge of his bathtub arms crossed and glowering.  Though with a thermometer stuck in his mouth the effect of the look was lost. Eight nights in a row of visions ranging from seeing Alexander the Great to sitting in a court presided over by the Judge Man and Yugi had come to the conclusion that there was definitely something wrong with him.  Last night he had dreamed he’d been riding to Atemu’s tomb on top of a giant fat man!  If that wasn’t a sure sign of a sick mind then he didn’t know what was.  Stranger still was the fact that these dreams weren’t fading.  Even things that he had dreamed about several days ago were as crystal clear as any of his recent visions.  

The plastic stick beeped, he removed it, and looked at the digital screen.  It was normal _cheap American goods_ he thought and tossed the thermometer into the sink.  Maybe he just needed to calm down and stop going to sleep at one in the morning and stop eating right before going to sleep.  Still he would have to make an appointment with his doctor to make sure nothing more serious was going on.

Yugi let his head rest on his hands and then let his mind wander for a moment, and it did take long for it to settle on image with wild hair and mischievous red eyes.  Adam seemed to be a constant thought for him these days.  He missed him really, he could admit to that.  He liked having someone around to talk to and be around with like, like a friend.  Yes a friend, a friend he wanted to spend more time with and for that to happen he would have to get back to the site.  The site, of course, was simply another source of constant annoyance.  

Mr. Hopekkins had said that he wanted more tombs and artefacts found so why was he doing everything in his power to keep him out of the field?  Yes he had broken the rules by exploring the tomb without clearance, but Hopekkins had never been one to be overly concerned about regulations when there was a profit to be made.  He was a true supporter of the end justifies the means philosophy.  Allowing research to continue on the tomb could only lead to more publicity as more questions were answered about the pharaoh, they might even be able to make some connections with other smaller discovers that had been made recently.  Publicity would lead to more tourists and that of course would lead to more money. Which guided him right back to his first question, why not let him back on the site?  Or at the very least let someone else work on it.  No one had been allowed to even go near it since he had been taken off the excavation.  It was like Hopekkins wanted to take this whole thing and sweep it under the rug, pretend that the tomb had never been discovered in the first place.  All of it was just incredibly frustrating.      

Wandering downstairs he grabbed a stack of envelopes off the kitchen table.  Flipping through his mail he came to an invitation.  Intrigued he opened it up.  A quick read through told him it was from the society offering him the opportunity to come and speak at their annual dinner.  He always went to them and he remembered that they always allowed them to bring a guest.  The wheels in his mind began turning, this would be a great chance to drum up support for further study of his ideas and perhaps, just perhaps, there was a way to get close to Adam again even earlier then he’d thought.


	6. Fulfilling Needs and Wants

_“Pharaoh, I need you.”_

_-Yugi Mutou, Yu gi oh_

 

Yugi was upset yet again.  His plan to get together with Adam, while great in theory, was proving rotten in practice.  He had spent the entire weekend looking everywhere for a way to contact him and had come up empty handed.  It was like Adam had just wandered into the world and was content to wander right back out again.

He shook himself from his thoughts as the door opened and the doctor returned.

“Mr. Mutou, I have your test results back.”

“And?”

“And nothing.  Everything came back normal as far as can be determined at this point there is nothing wrong with you.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Mr. Mutou, I must impress upon you again that you have made a remarkable recovery from a very serious injury in a very short amount of time.  You should be grateful that you are as healthy as you are.  Now about these dreams you’ve been having.  The most I can say right now given that there appears to be nothing physically wrong is that they may have a psychological nature behind them.  Do they have any order to them at all?”

“They have no particular order that I can determine.  They are just random scenes.”

“Are you positive they aren’t memories?”

Yugi laughed. “Oh, please tell me you’re kidding.  If you seriously think that plain old me would be involved in that kind of stuff, saving the world even, I’d be concerned for your mental health.  Besides the memories that I have had return are all from the last five years or so, these dreams don’t match them in any way.”

“Well at any rate it would be a good idea to keep a record of these dreams in case you do begin to see a pattern.”

“Okay.”

“Have you had any other areas of concern?”

“No.”

“Then there is nothing else I can recommend at this time.”

“All right thank you for your time.”

With that he got dressed and left the office with even more questions then when he’d come in.  _If any deity up there is listening I would love to get a break here-_ his thoughts were cut off as he rounded a corner and collided into someone, hard.  Both men fall backwards to the pavement.

“Agh! Watch where you’re going, why don’t you?”

“Why don’t you-umm…sir.”

Yugi looked over to where the other person had fallen, to see the man he had been searching for sprawled on the pavement.   _Thank you._

“Hey, good to see you again.”

“Hi.”

Adam couldn’t help but be excited at seeing Yugi again.  Fate was smiling on him. As he helped him up noting his rather ragged hairstyle.

“I know I know it looks like an over-used mop.  I have to wait a least another month before I can style into anything presentable.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I had an appointment.”

“Oh, nothing serious I hope.”

Yugi shook his head. “No just routine.”

“Good to hear.”

“It’s a great thing I ran into you actually I wanted to ask you about something.”

“You can ask me anything.”

“I have an annual dinner event with the Egypt Archaeological Society coming up, where I am hoping I can drum up support to further the excavation and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me as my guest?”

“Me?”

“Yes, that is if you haven’t made any other plans.”

“No, no nothing in mind, but you know I’m not-”

“A professional I know, but you don’t have to be.  I am the one who has to get up in front a room full of people and make an idiot out of myself.  You just get to sit there and eat the food.”

Well what could he say to that? He was a bit taken back that Yugi would be so eager for him to accompany him on what was obviously an important occasion.  Still he had wanted to see Yugi again and here he was, completely out of the blue, handing him a whole night together on a silver platter, how could he pass it up.   

“I suppose I could if you really want me to.”

“It would mean a lot to me if you would.”

“All right then.”

***

Two weeks and several suits later Yugi gently pushed people aside in the hall looking for his dinner date for the evening. _Ah there he is._   He was wearing a very nice black suit, his hair loose from its usual ponytail, cut short, and hanging just below his chin. Yugi thought it looked much better than his hair that had been gelled back so much it looked like a multicoloured bowling ball.

“Hi, Adam, you look go-er nice very nice.”

 

“Thank you, so do you.”

“So what do you think so far?”

“I really think I don’t belong here.  I know I sound like a broken record, but this is really not my type of thing, Yugi.”

“You’ll be fine, Adam, just eat the nice food and clap politely for the speakers.  It’s not that hard.  The others have been fine.”

“Then why didn’t you invite one of them instead?”

“Because I didn’t want to bring someone else and I wanted to bring you.”

“Oh,” he replied and went back to fidgeting with his suit.

“Is this tie on straight?”

Yugi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Well it was,” he said coming over to adjust it.

In short order they were ushered into the dining room and sat in front of gorgeous place settings as the waiters came around.

“Wine sirs?”

“Red.”

“White.”

After it was poured both men sipped from the glasses.

“At least it’s good wine,” Adam said swirling red liquid in his glass.

“And you thought you were going to have a rotten time.”

“Well now I don’t have to remember it in the morning.”

Yugi tried to his a smile behind his own glass ignoring the looks from the others at the table.

The food was wonderful, flavourful, and cooked to perfection.  In the back of his mind though Yugi went over his speech for the hundredth time knowing this might be his only shot at getting out of a mound of paperwork and back to the site.

The others speakers gave their presentations and all too soon it was his turn.  He stood beside the podium wishing he had something in his hands to play with to calm his nerves.

_Whoever invented public speaking should be drug out into the street and shot._

As the applause from his introduction died down and he rearranged his thoughts for the final Yugi stepped up to the podium and sot out the deep red eyes of his companion.  For some reason just knowing that he was there was very comforting.  Taking a deep breath he began talking about all they had learned so far and how important it was that research continue on the find.

“Now are there any questions?”

“Doctor Mutou, there have been rumours that this tomb is cursed, what is your response?”

“I have seen nothing to indicate that that tomb is cursed in any way.  It is different than earlier finds yes, but that is simply another reason for us to further investigate the site, and really if we took every rumour about that valley as fact nobody would ever go in there.”

 

The audience laughed.

“Any other questions?”

He answered a few more inquiries and then was mercifully released out of the public spotlight.  As he made his way back he noticed that Adam was engaged in conversation.  Yugi felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Adam mingle with the others at their table.  Wine glass held lazily in his fingers.  Even with all of his experience in public speaking, he still wasn’t comfortable around other people he didn’t know very well.  Yet here was a man who just a few hours ago said this wasn’t something he normally did and now look at him looking like he’d done this all his life.

He ducked into the washroom, leaning over the sink trying to get a hold of himself.  _What on earth am I doing?_   _He agreed to do all this for me and now I’m upset because he’s having a good time!_ He was acting like a petty schoolboy and that wasn’t fair to him.

He was about to leave when Adam himself walked through the door.

“Yugi, are you all right?”

“Yes I’m fine.” 

“Then may I ask, why you are standing over the sink like your about to lose everything you just ate?”

“It was just, well I saw you talking with the other men at the table and I-”

“Oh, I haven’t done something to embarrass you have I?”

“No, no of course not, you’re doing great.  Really great actually,” he sighed, “I have to admit I’m a bit jealous.”

“Jealous?  You’re jealous of me?  Yugi, I just spent a good five minutes trying to figure out what fork I was suppose to use to eat a salad and then I had to ask you how I was suppose to eat half the things on my plate, how can you possibly be jealous?”

“You make it look so easy though.”

“I make what look so easy?”

“This!  You can talk to people you’ve never met like their old friends and I freak out over having to give a ten minute speech where I get to have notes with me!  Not that I did it, it would be tacky, but I just…”

Adam came over and put his hand on Yugi’s shoulder.

“So, I can charm people I was raised to and now it comes easily to me.  It doesn’t make you any less of an accomplished person if you have difficulty with it.”

“You’re right and thank you.  Really I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s all right.  Now can we go back out there?  I think I saw dessert floating along on one of those carts.  We can eat the pink fluffy part of the cake right?”

Yugi laughed.  “Yes, yes we can.”

With the ordeal over with they went back to the table, sneaking two of the desserts off the tray as they went.

 

“Wonderful speech, Doctor Mutou, I look forward to hearing more of your excavation.”

“Oh, yes it was most captivating.  Do you plan on having a lecture series anytime soon?”

*** 

The evening continued without anymore incidents, and despite his earlier protests Adam did actually have a good time It wasn’t until he was in the lobby that he realized he had no way to get home.  He had taken the Metro here and knew that it didn’t run this late and he didn’t own a car.  He wasn’t drunk but he had had a sizable amount of wine and knew it probably wasn’t a good idea attempting to haggle out a cab fare that he might be actually be able to pay in his current state.  The bus it was then.

“Do you know how late the buses run?” he asked Yugi.

“You don’t plan to take the bus home do you?”

“I know it’s not the best option, but I don’t have a car.”

“I brought mine I’ll drop you off, where do you live?”

“The Mohandessin district.”

“Nice area I’ve lived there before, and if the landlords are anything like the ones that were there when I was they won’t take kindly to you coming in, in the wee hours of the morning.”  

“So you are retracting your offer?”

“No I am merely proposing a better option: come home with me.”

“Oh no, I don’t wish to impose.”

“Who’s imposing?  I have to go home anyway it’s not a big deal to take a person with me.”

“How do you know I won’t take an axe and murder you in the night?”

“If I didn’t trust you I wouldn’t have offered to hire you and ask you to come with me tonight.  Besides I don’t own an axe.” 

Adam relented and followed Yugi down the block.

“Are you all right to drive?” he asked as they approached the car.

“Yeah, I only had half a glass of wine and I have a high alcohol tolerance as it is.  I can walk the line if you’d like.”

He shook his head. “No I trust you.” he said and got into the car.

“I suggest you buckle up.”

***

 An hour later the car pulled up to a small villa at the end of row of similar homes.  

“Here we are, home sweet home.”

“Thank Horus,” Adam said letting go of his death grip on the door handle. 

“Hey, I’m not that bad.”

“No you were about average with everyone else on the road.  Which makes me glad I live within walking distance of work.”

“You got another job?”

“Part-time.  Just something to pay the bills until we can get back to the dig site.  Dare I hope that will be in the near future?”

“If tonight went half as well as I think it did we have a good shot at getting back out there.”

They walked up the path to the front door.  Yugi put his key in the lock, stopping to adjust the lopsided mailbox.

“As you can see I spend a lot of time here.”

He made to turn the doorknob and stopped.

“Damn I almost forgot.  This is probably a bad time to ask, but you don’t have a problem with cats do you?”

“No, why?”

“Because I have one.”

He opened the door and his housemate ran to greet them.

“Meet Sir Edmund.”

Adam reached down to stroke a small grey tabby doing laps around his feet and rubbing against his legs.

“Friendly little thing isn’t he?”

“Yes he is.”

“Why Sir Edmund?”

Yugi didn’t answer just went into the kitchen and pulled a can of cat food from a cupboard.  Adam watched as Edmund crawled up Yugi’s leg and up onto the counter.

“That’s why, climbs everything like a true mountaineer.” 

As Yugi fed his cat, Adam looked around living room.  It was curious he thought that the place where his boss said he lived for quite some time didn’t look very…well lived in he guessed.  The walls were practically empty save the occasional picture of some faraway landscape.  The mantle was only home to a few artefacts.  Surely he had family photos, diplomas, anything that was personal, so where was everything?

“I’ve got some extra clothes that should fit you unless you want to sleep in that suit.”

“I don’t know it could be this season’s new hit.”

“Well just in case that doesn’t work out.”

Yugi went to his closet with the clothes, a pillow and an extra blanket.

“Sorry to only be able to offer you the couch, but the guest room is rather cramped.”

“It’s fine.  Thank you, you really didn’t have to.”

“My pleasure, really.”

With his guest settled in for the night Yugi headed to bed himself.  When he came out of the bathroom he quietly peered over the railing to see Adam all ready fast asleep on the couch even though the hall light was still burning brightly. Yugi stopped at his bedroom door his hand against the hall light switch.  He hesitated for a moment before flipping the light off and closing the bedroom door.


	7. Asking Questions

_“To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions.”_

_\- Sam Keen_

_“You used your under-handed tactics to overwhelm Yugi’s mind!  You will pay for what you did.”_

_“So I take it from this emotional outburst that you’re having a difficult time acknowledging the fact that you failed in your self-appointed duty to protect your little duelling protégé.  Whoever you are perhaps Yugi would have been better off without your interference.”_

_“Be silent.”_

Before he could learn more the world shifted out of focus and Adam found himself wide awake staring at an unfamiliar coffee table as Ra was just beginning to arrive on the horizon.  He sat up pushing the blanket off and tried to coax the dream into giving him more information.  It stayed clear in his mind, but only gave him more questions than answers.   It was strange really the last few nights had been dark and dreamless and now here he was dreaming about him again, what had changed?  _Spending the night with a man you happen to think is gorgeous might have something to do with it._ Adam groaned.  Did his inner thoughts have to be so sarcastic?  So Yugi was attractive that much was obvious, but why were all this dreams still involving a younger version of him?  Although he had not directly seen Yugi this time he knew he was there.  Not just because he was talking about him but he could also sense his energy, it was less steady than what he felt now indicating that that Yugi was less mature than his present day counter-part. 

Still if all of this was mere attraction then he expected the dreams to contain candles and silk sheets and show Yugi naked in a least one of them!  Not of some battle between himself and a guy in a tasteless suit!  Who was that man anyway and why did he have the millennium eye?  That item belonged to Aknadin and that man certainly wasn’t him.  A descendent then, possible, but how could he be duelling him then?  The timelines still didn’t fit, he had the puzzle during that dream and didn’t now.  Something was totally amiss and he wasn’t any closer to finding out what it was then he had been two months ago.  All he knew was that Yugi was somehow connected to it all.  Should he risk telling him then, about his true self now, in the hopes of getting answers?  He would like to think there were closer than they had been when they had been out in the desert, but could he really trust him?  Was he the type who would accept this? 

Adam wandered around the living trying to find out more about Yugi.  In the morning light he could see several things he had missed the previous evening.  The room wasn’t quite as barren as initially thought, there were several games stashed underneath the coffee table and small 3D puzzles lined a self in a bookcase.  It was rather cozy actually.  Perhaps he could confide in Yugi. He was kind and generous and appeared to be far more open-minded than some others he had talked to the night before, but was that enough?   

He continued to mull over the idea of revealing all while he pulled out several items from the fridge and Edmund paced back and forth along the top of the kitchen cabinets.

***

Adam was half-way through preparing breakfast when the phone rang he reached to get answer only to have the ringing stop.  _I wonder if Yugi got it._

“What do you mean no!”

_I’ll take that as a yes._

Yugi came stomping downstairs, hair still tangled from sleep, the phone clutched tightly in his hand.

“I’ve worked too hard to let it all go to waste I-…yes, sir.  Yes I understand still you must understand it-yes, yes, no but I… thank you, sir, goodbye.”

Yugi tossed the phone onto his living room chair in annoyance.

“I hate him.”

“I never would have guessed.”

“What is that?”

“Eggs, bacon, and toast so I’d call it breakfast.”

“You cooked?”

“No, I squeezed it out of tube like they do on the space shuttle.  Of course I cooked.” 

“You really didn’t have to.”

“I know, but I felt I should pay you back for your generosity.”

“Well thanks.”

As Adam finished the meal Yugi quickly set the table feeling he should help Adam after he had worked so hard and they sat down.

“I’m surprised you know how to make this.”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“According to my other friends it’s a traditional Egyptian breakfast or nothing.”

“Very trend forward.”

He shrugged.

“I like them anyway.”

He took a bite.  It was surprisingly good, no not just good great!

“You sir are a god.”

“I take it that means you like it.”

Yugi just nodded and went back to the food.  Things were uneventful for the rest of the meal until they finished and at that time Adam finally got up the courage to really talk to Yugi.

“Yugi, may I ask you something?”

“Sure.

“What do you do before you came here?”

Yugi didn’t answer and continued placing dishes into the sink in an attempt to stall.  Of all the things he could have said it had never occurred to him that Adam would ask about something he could barely began to answer.  And that what he did know was starting to freak him out.  That he was beginning to have doubts about his speech to his doctor that he was nothing more than an ordinary man.

“What do you mean?” he finally asked trying to stall further.

“I mean what did you, where did you go?”

He sighed with relief that he could answer. “I went to college.  I transferred here to complete my doctorate I worked hard and now I’d liked to think that hard work is paying off.  If my boss ever gets that cranial–rectal inversion of his taken care of that is.” 

“Have you ever seen anything unusual in your work?”

Yugi froze again.  Could he know something?  Was there really something special in his past?  No! No.  They were just dreams and dreams weren’t real. 

“No, I am a practical man in most instances, I don’t put stock in curses or charms on tombs and artefacts and I’ve never seen anything to convince me otherwise.”

“I see.”

That was it then there was no way that that boy and this man could be one and the same.  That boy seemed to constantly find himself in situations that defied explanation and Yugi just confirmed that he didn’t.  _And yet…_ there was still something, something that didn’t fit right Yugi had reacted to his outbreak of magic in the tomb as if it was an everyday occurrence, but if he didn’t believe in magic that should have shocked as it had shocked the other two men.  Well there was nothing more to be done about today so he began to make his way to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to do my laundry.  Will you be home later today?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Well don’t you want these back?” he asked tugging at the helm of the shirt.

“Keep them they’re older things.”

“Oh, I’m being reduced to hand-me downs am I?”

“I’ll have you know that is my best shirt...from college anyway.”

Adam chuckled. “Well thank you then.  If you’re sure you won’t need them back.”

“I’m sure.”

“So then I don’t suppose I could borrow some change to clean them since they’re technically yours for another five minutes.”

“Never too early to ask me for an exchange of favours after coming with me last night is it?” he asked fetching his wallet and tossing Adam a few notes.

“Apparently it doesn’t hurt, thank you.” 

“Hey, before you go, do you have a phone number I could reach you at?  Just randomly running into you again would be rather hard, not to mention painful.”

“Sure.”

He quickly scrawled a set of numbers on a piece of paper.

“Do you want to meet for coffee sometime?  I know a great place.”

He nodded and handed over his number. “I’d like that.”

_Even if he can’t help me figure out my problems it doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun in the mean time._

With that went he outside, closing the door and stood on the sidewalk for a moment.  That had certainly been educational at least.  All though he didn’t get all the answers he wanted one thing was certain.  Whether he love-liked _liked_ Yugi or not, even though the boy in his dreams and that man weren’t connected in the way he thought after all, there was indeed something very interesting about Yugi and Adam was determined to figure out what it was.


	8. Looking for Pieces

_“There is a different feel about you tonight_

_It’s got me thinking lots of crazy things_

_I even think I saw a flash of light_

_It felt like electricity”_

_-Toby Keith, You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This_

Life went slowly on as Yugi kept trying to get back to his job site and Adam continued to try and keep from yelling at people at his job, he failed after the second week thus joining the ranks of unemployed once again.  And both of them could be found in a booth every Thursday pouring over the newspaper and three mugs of caffeine.  Through it all the visions continued for both of them, making Adam, at least, all the more determined than ever to figure out their meaning once and for all.

With his real job still on hold he decided to take this opportunity to do some researching of his own.  Trying to figure out why the gods had called him back to the land of living and why he had had very little difficulty dealing with it.  All he could remember about himself was that he was a pharaoh in Ancient Egypt as they called it.  Yet he understood this modern deltaic.  He could speak it fluently, and read and write it with ease.  He had no difficulty with their system of currency even though all he knew was the old system of barter.  Obviously something had occurred between now and his reign and he was determined to find out what it was and how Yugi was connected to it all.  He had to be, the dreams, the almost instant connection he had had with him, was all too much to be merely coincidence.  He had said that he didn’t believe in magic so maybe it wasn’t him directly.  Maybe he had a twin brother, or a clone, or maybe he was just lying.  He knew he couldn’t come right out and confront him though he would need evidence first. 

A stray thought had stayed with him as he moved through endless rows of books in a library, that all problems could be solved in museum basements.  With that crazy idea in mind he snuck into the basement of the museum that very same night and began to search, for what he wasn’t sure, but he would know when he found it.  He was just ten minutes into it when he heard voices and the sound of approaching footsteps he quickly ducked behind an old crate.

“I saw someone come down here I’m sure.”

Carefully Adam peeked around the crate to see a person he knew to be Mr. Hopekkins talking to someone he couldn’t get a clear view of.

“I don’t care about your precious collection of trinkets!  We have other work that needs to be done.  You still have not been able to steer our young adversary away from forces he should not be meddling with.”  

“Why must I spend so much time occupied with him?  He has been a thorn in my side seen the day he got off the plane.  That’s no secret, but is he really that much of a concern?  He is just one man.”

“Just one man?  The man falls off a cliff and has little more to show for it than partial memory loss and you think he is nothing to be concerned about?  You truly know nothing about Yugi Mutou.”

_What are they talking about?_

His thoughts were cut off as Mr. Hopekkins picked that moment to walk past his hiding spot jostled the papers laying on top causing several layers of dust to fall over him.  He inhaled sharply his body tensed knowing he was about to reveal his hiding spot.  Suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth and a hushed voice whispered in his ear.

“Don’t or you’ll give us both away.”

His capture with his other arm wrapped around his torso and pulled him closer.  As he was moved further in the shadows Adam could feel the hot breath of whoever held him moved through his hair.

“I can see I am going to have to do more with you let’s step into your office and I’ll persuade you to see it my way.”

There was a slight gagging sound as they left the way they had come.  He listened hard as their footsteps dimmed and then died off completely.

Adam frantically pushed the other person off him and whipped around to strike back at…

“Yugi!”

Yugi stood up brushing the dust off his clothes. “You aren’t authorised to be down here.”

Adam crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance.

“Judging by the fact that you that you nearly suffocated me behind that crate I’m going to assume you are not suppose to be down here either.” 

Yugi sighed. “Look since we both know the other isn’t supposed to be here, rather then going off to tattle, let’s just go back to what we were doing.” 

“Agreed.”

As they went back to their work Adam couldn’t get several annoying thoughts, that involved Yugi of course, out of his head. He half hoped they would come back so Yugi would hold him like that again.

“What are you looking for anyway?”

“I-I don’t really know.”

Yugi snorted. “Well that’s always a good start.”

“Oh, and I suppose you have a more well thought out plan for losing your job?”

“I’m looking for more evidence of that tomb we’ve been excavating.  And since everyone seems intent on making sure I don’t learn anything or ever get back out there I’m going over their heads, or under their feet really.”

“I thought you were a practical man?”

“I said in most instances.  He is an exception.”   

“What makes you think there is something special about that particular pharaoh anyway?”

“I’ve never seen a tomb like his before.  Nothing about it is what it should be, I mean whoever heard of a tomb with a back door?  And you heard them just now they don’t want me to find out about it or him so whatever is down there must be important.” 

So he had been wrong in his initial assumption about Yugi.  How nice.

“And you think you can find all the answers here?” 

“Maybe not all, but still the daunting task, the rush of discovery, the thrill of finding the piece that connects it all.  I live for challenges like this.”

“Would you like some help?”

“Sure maybe as you help me you’ll find whatever it is you’re searching for.”

Adam had never seen Yugi like this before he was so intense and focused, and yet so relaxed at the same time it was different and exciting.

“You look good with earrings you know.”

“I’ve been told that.  Still I usually don’t wear them, professional standards and all.”

“May I?”

Yugi nodded Adam ran his thumb over the tiny pyramid.

“Real gold?”

“Yes.  I like to indulge myself sometimes.”

As they worked Adam let his mind drift back to the conversation he’d overheard.  If Yugi had had some kind of memory loss that would go along to explaining their connection, if they had had one in the past, then Yugi obviously didn’t remember it.  He needed to know for sure.

“Yugi, what they mentioned about you, is it true?”

He stopped shuffling papers and stared at the table before mumbling, “it is.” 

“You trust me enough to hire me, but not to tell me this.”

“I haven’t even told my closest friends about it.  Since I’m willingly to tell you, you can consider yourself more than that.”

That announcement left Adam speechless, thankfully Yugi continued.

“I don’t really know who I am.  They were right, I had an accident several months ago that affected my memory.  I know it sounds like something out of a cliché Hollywood movie, but it’s the truth.”

“Then this must be a type B movie because I have the same problem.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

“In all honesty, Yugi, I have no idea how I got here.  I just woke one day to some guy kicking me and yelling at me to get lost because I was on private property.  It’s like I just dropped from the sky from some greater purpose…” He shook his head and chuckled. “I’m sorry here we were talking about you and I go off on a tangent like a mystical guru.”

“It’s all right this whole thing is rather freaky.”

The lapsed into a familiar silence both digesting what they now knew.  _One problem solved and on more to go._ They were closer now it seemed, but Adam couldn’t just admit his feelings right here, right now, so he had been wrong about his initial assumption fine, but that did not make it okay to start acting like any other male during mating season. He didn’t need to be fully versed in the culture and customs of this time to know that pushing his intentions onto Yugi with no regard to his feelings was a terribly stupid thing to do.  Still he couldn’t keep ignoring this it wasn’t healthy for his sleep cycle.  Perhaps he could do something small instead and gage Yugi’s reaction.  Test the waters as it were.  Taking the plunge he moved his hand ever so slowly across the table until his hand was over top of Yugi’s.  

Feeling an unexpected warmth Yugi looked down at the hand that lay gently onto of his own.  Yugi stared at it for a moment longer before settling back to work, enjoying the comfort of the simple gesture and spread his finger wide so Adam’s could loop through his.  They stayed that way for several minutes before Adam moved over to look at something on a shelf.

As he left Yugi felt an overwhelming desire to pull him close again to make sure he never truly left his side.  It was similar to his feelings when they had been out in the desert, but now there was more to it.  Adam wasn’t just some enigma anymore he was a _handsome_ enigma.   

Yugi found he was in no way uncomfortable in the man’s presence.  In fact if he was truly honest with himself he was beginning to crave it.  This feeling of physical desire was familiar to him, but now it seemed much stronger more real.  He had become fully aware and comfortable with his sexual orientation many years ago and thus he knew that wasn’t the issue, so what did make this so different? 

He thought back shifting partial memories of former lovers in his mind.  His other relationships had been mostly about fun and sex and very few serious things went into them.  This though offered the possibility of a truly long lasting relationship.  If he even wished to have a relationship at all that is.  All the touching and hand holding seemed to indicate that he liked him more than he was willing to admit still he could be looking too much into things.  It wouldn’t be the first time he had misjudged someone’s actions towards him.  Yugi frowned it was one of the few memories he wished he hadn’t gotten back.

_Going to see his sick mother my ass!  He struggled in the grip of his two friends as they tried to hold him in his seat._

_“Yugi, calm down!”_

_“I don’t want to calm down I want to murder that fucking jackass!”_

_How dare he!  Yugi thought they were really starting to go somewhere in their relationship.  And here Kevin was with his hands all over her in public!  Flaunting it, almost daring anyone to say something and only a week after they had, Yugi shivered in revulsion._

_“Yugi, you can’t just go over there and punch his lights out maybe he has a good explanation for it!”_

_“What explanation could he possibly have for having his hands down her pants!?  He is a jerk plain and simply and I can’t believe I was too blind to see it.  And why I am telling you guys this when there is a perfect death to plan?”_

_***_

_His friends had managed to get him to keep his anger in check until the end of the day when he had stormed over to Kevin’s dorm nearly taken the door off its hinges and he slammed it back against the wall._

_“Hey, Yugi, what’s up?”_

_“Don’t give me that I saw you with Heather at the game.  What the hell were thinking!?”_

_“So I was out with her so what?”_

_“I trusted you!  That’s what!”_

_“Oh, please it’s not like we were anything serious.  We all know the stereotype that we will jump anyone and anything that moves, why shouldn’t I take advantage of it?”_

_“Because it makes you an asshole!”_

_“Some people like that type of personality.”_

_“I’m not one of them.”_

_He shrugged. “No real loss.  I’ll find another piece of willing handsome ass.”_

_Yugi leaped across the desk and shoved Kevin hard against the window._

_“Not a very private way to kill me.  As if you would ever have the guts.”  Kevin smirked._

_No Kevin was right this wasn’t the way to handle this, as he spotted two people playing chess just outside the window,  Yugi’s eyes harden with a desire for vengeance there were much better much more subtle ways to deal with this.  He lowered the man._

_“Hey, what are you-”_

_“You seem to enjoy toying with people hearts surely I can interest you in a game?”_

_The night had ended with Kevin in the psych ward for a week._

Despite not having figured out what that creepy game meant he knew that the whole experience had hurt him emotionally to the point where he had not been intimate with anyone since Kevin.  Still that had been years ago.  Was it now time to put himself at risk once more?  Was he really ready to give his heart to another again? 

As he watched Adam, his eyes burning with a drive he had yet to see in anyone besides himself, he put his weight against the table in case his knees decided to stop supporting him.  He allowed his gaze to trail down his slim and well sculpted body.  He could hear his heartbeat loudly in his ears.  Yugi mused, with some concern, that it might already be too late for such questions.


	9. The Pieces Come Together

_“I hope your heart won’t have to hurt anymore_

_‘Cause it’s really not that sad from here_

_Because the moments I can feel you near.”_

_-Finger, I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague_

It was yet another late night visit to the museum and Adam and Yugi were both back in the basement.  This time searching selves for any record of someone discovering Atemu’s tomb before Yugi did.  

“For all the things in here you would think there wouldn’t be such a severe lack of ladders, did you find anything yet?”

“No, and please try not to move around so much.”

“Shouldn’t I have been on top?  You can lift more than me.”

Yugi stopped moving things around on a shelf and glanced down.

“Just hold still.”

Adam scowled and tried once more to shift Yugi’s weight to a more comfortable position on his shoulders while making a mental note to start taking up weight training.  This whole thing was stupid.  If he would just admit who he truly was to Yugi he wouldn’t be here being a human step-ladder, so why couldn’t he be fully honest with Yugi?  _Because you don’t want to lose him._ There it was the simple answer to a complicated question.  He didn’t want to reveal who he was or reveal his true feelings for fear of destroying what they already built.  It was more important to be with Yugi then even the safety of the world, Mr. Hopekkins was obviously up to something and any connection it had to his ancient kingdom and all the problems there in didn’t bode well for anyone, but Adam was often times having difficulty caring about any of it.  He couldn’t even bring himself to continue his study of the growing connection between dream Yugi and this Yugi for fear of what he would think of the idea.  It was only Yugi’s opinion of him that mattered, Yugi himself had it seemed become Adam’s whole world and that terrified him.

Yugi moved again his boot pushing Adam’s earring against his neck.  Adam cried out in annoyance.

“You know I am beginning to think this whole search is fruitless.  By the time we find anything the whole tomb will have crumbled to dust!”

Yugi smiled as Adam’s frustrations brought to mind an old song that he hummed to himself.  _Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea.  All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see.  Dust in the wind, all we are is dust the wind-_ his wandering thoughts were derailed as they slammed into a wall of realization.

“Of course that’s it!”

Yugi quickly hopped down from Adam and began rummaging through his pockets.

“What’s it?  What did I say?”

“I can’t believe I was so blind!”

Quickly Yugi found a notepad and pencil and started drawing.

“See here look.  All tombs are broken down into different sections, possibly as a passage to the gods although that theory is still under study, anyway, we’ve been thinking that the stairway we found leads down to the first chamber, but what if the entrance we found isn’t the true entrance to the tomb?  What if it is the second section?  I mean geological disturbances happen there all the time, part of the cliff it is carved into might have collapsed.  That would also explain why we found so many broken artefacts around the tomb while everything else was intact in the other chambers and-”

“Any evidence of earlier entry would have been destroyed,” Adam finished.

“Exactly.”

Of course it all made sense now.  This explained why the puzzle hadn’t been there as he had expected, someone must have moved it, but were they friend or foe?  If the puzzle had been stolen the consequences could be dire and where were the other items?  Was that what those dreams all meant?  Were they perhaps repressed memories of some battle to get back the items and put the items in a new location to keep them safe?

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of familiar footsteps on the stairs.

“Oh, not again.”

“Does the man have nothing better to do with his time?”

Both of them quickly squeezed into a dark corner and waited.  As Hopekkins came into view Adam went on the offensive, now far more comfortable in his body and his powers it was easy to move the shadows to obscure their presence and distract Hopekkins enough so he quickly turned around and went back the way he had come.  There was only one complication.   The tensing of the body beside him let him know that this time Yugi had seen him.

With Hopekkins gone Yugi wasted no time in getting away from Adam.  He quickly backed away from him his eyes wide.  Adam had never seen the man scared before.

“Yugi, please I, I can explain.” He couldn’t lose him not after all this.

“What the hell are you?”

“It’s not, it’s not really what I am, but who I am.”

“Besides not human.”

“I assure I am perfectly human.  What you saw well…It’s, it’s just something I can do.”

“Basketball is something you do.  This is…is.” _Is something I can do._ But if someone else could do what he did that meant something, something vital.  Something that would make everything make sense if he could just…

At that moment he tripped over something on the floor and stumbled backwards without a thought Adam grabbed him yanking him back up.   Their faces were now inches for each other Adam’s hand rested against the small of his back and his hand on Adam’s shoulder.  They just stared at one another the entire argument completely forgotten.  The thread of memory Yugi had been grasping at whisked away, and he couldn’t begin to care.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Neither made a move to break the embrace Adam in fact pressed his hand further against Yugi’s back.

“Thank you I-"

“You’re welcome.”

Yugi moved his hand away from Adam’s shoulder so his fingers brushed against his hair.

“There really is something going on between us isn’t there?”

“Yes I believe there is.”

He looked deeply into Adam’s eyes searching for the truth. “You would never hurt me.”

“Never.”

Of course he wouldn’t it wasn’t his nature.  The powers he displayed a moment ago, that was just something Adam did he knew that, had always known that, somehow.

“How about we go back to my place?  We could talk and…stuff.”  _Twenty-eight years old and I still have the relationship skills of a demented five year old it’s a wonder Adam doesn’t just drop me where I stand._

“I’d like that.”

*** 

Not knowing exactly what to do about the night’s events they fell back on their old past time and made coffee.  Yugi poured the hot drink into two mugs and set them on the table.  Adam took his and starting pouring a large amount of sugar in it.

“You put anymore sugar in that and you’re going to rot your teeth.”

Adam merely glanced up at Yugi before spooning two more heaping amounts of the sweet sand into his mug and stirring it.

“How long?” Yugi finally asked.

“Several weeks at least." 

“Hmm, well then you’re very good at hiding your emotions.  You remained professional at all times for so long and…”

Here it came.  Total rejection, everything he had worked for gone.

“And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t reciprocate your attraction.”

Adam put his cup down in shock, sloshing coffee over the sides. “What?  You mean you actually…”

“How can I not?  You’re handsome, passionate, and an all around pleasant guy to be with.  Don’t have a clue why you like me though.”

“Because you’re amazing.”

“Wow, don’t be too subtle now.”

“I mean it.  You treat me like a person and not just some means to an end, you’re driven and dedicated and everything I’ve looked for in a partner.”

“Nothing in the looks department?”

He smirked. “And you’re vain.”

Yugi smiled. “Just a little bit.”

“You’re not bad to look at though I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks, I think.”  

Yugi reached over the table and grasped his hand. “Well do you want to do something about it?”

Adam glanced down.“I don’t know.”

“Why so hesitant?  You just described me as what you’ve been looking for.  We both have feelings for each other why shouldn’t we pursue them?”

“Because it is unconventional and bordering on inappropriate.”

“Why?  It’s only a two year age gap.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is ‘it’?”

Adam took his hand away from Yugi's.

“I'm not good enough for you.”

“Why don’t I by the judge of that-”

“Because you are far too trusting.”

“That trust got you a job.” Yugi pointed out.

“I know, which brings up another issue.  Dating co-workers rarely turns out well.”

“Well until further notice we are off the clock.”

“Which you are doing everything in your power to correct.”

“True, but I’d be willing to take a minimal break from that and we don’t have to rush into this.  After all I’m afraid I am a bit out of practice with the dating game.”

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a man of celibacy.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“There is a lot you don’t know about yourself.”

“Could say the same for you.  You might have five other families stashed around the world for all you know.”

Adam looked at Yugi in shock.

“Kidding.  Look I remember enough things that I wish I could forget again, I feel ready to try this and if it doesn’t work out I promise to send you with one of my colleagues and we will never have to speak of it again if you don’t want to.”

Adam leaned back in his chair considering, high reward low risk, and then smiled. “Well with an offer like that, like you, how can I refuse?”

 


	10. Puzzle Complete

_If I hold you like this_

_And if you kiss me like that_

_It was dead long ago_

_But it’s all coming back to me…_

_I can barely recall but_

_It’s all coming back to me now_

_-Celine Doin, It’s All Coming Back To Me_

 

_It was quiet, so quiet he could hear the boat creak as it rolled over the water.  It had been, well years, since he’d been truly alone like this and he hated it.  Nevertheless, he knew he had to do it.   This was a chance to really start to grieve and he needed to do it alone.  After a time he wiped the tears from his eyes he reached under the bed and pulled out his bag.  Searching through one of the side pockets he pulled out a small black day-planner.  What possessed him to pack it he didn’t know, but now he was glad he had.  He flipped the book open to today’s date and circled it in red.  Now he would always remember this day, and he made a promise to himself that no matter what happened or where he was he would always take this day to reflect on Atemu and celebrate all they had gone through together._

Yugi slammed his fist against the calendar, but the red circle around the date stayed there and mocked him.  Why hadn’t his pre-injured self written down what was so flipping important about today?!  He went back to his desk for his fifth futile search through his appointment book and then around his desk for a note, a sign, a random scrap of paper, something.  Just when he thought he had reached a comfortable level with his memory loss this had to happen!

He jumped as the doorbell rang.  _Adam shouldn’t be here already._  He quickly went to get the door. 

“Hey, you’re early,” he said while trying to smooth his hair down into something more presentable.

“Only by about ten minutes.”

Yugi looked at his watch, so he was, he didn’t think it was that late already.  Adam looked at him in concern.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really.  There is just something important about today and for the life of me I can’t remember what it is.”

“Well if you would rather not go out-”

“No, no of course I do!  I mean I made plans with you first after all and besides it can’t be life threateningly critical if I couldn’t be bothered to write it down anywhere, right?”

“You’ll let it go just like that?”

Yugi shrugged. “Sometimes if you stop thinking about something it’ll just come to you, and you’re more important anyway.”

“I shouldn’t be the centre of your universe, Yugi.”

“I didn’t say that I said you were more important than this one thing.   You have already done so much for me been with me through so much you deserve my time today.”

Adam cringed knowing that he deserved none of this.  That he had been with Yugi just as much for his selfish desires as to help him.  That he had not been open in the slightest about his problems as Yugi was being, that there was an entire section of his life he remembered and kept hidden out of fear. He couldn’t keep doing it.  It wasn’t fair to Yugi he trusted him and the man deserved to know the truth.  He would tell him later tonight.

“I found this new spot I want to try out, but will have to take the car.”

If they survived the night.

***

“Well then he’s an asshole,” Adam answered in response to Yugi’s story of his last relationship.  He could see why the man was so hesitant to get close to anybody.

As the dance floor continued to flash multiple colours in front of their table where several empty plates now rested Yugi looked over and noticed a free pool table in the back.

“Have you ever played pool?” he asked as he went over to it and Adam followed him.

“Never, is it hard?”

“Not once you get use to using the stick. Stripes or solids?”

“What?”

“The object of the game is to hit your set of balls into the pockets in the correct order.  Do you want to hit the stripes or solid ones?”

“Solid I guess.”

Yugi racked up the balls and then cleanly broke them across the table only the have none of them go in.  In response Adam carefully set up his shot and hit the ball straight on and it rolled cleanly into the pocket.

“Adam, you said you’ve never played before.”

Adam shrugged. “I’m sure it was just beginner’s luck.”

_Well we just have to do something about that._ Yugi thought and leaned over the admire Adam as he bent over to adjust his cue stick for his next shot.

“Nice view.”

His comment had the desired effect as the cue ball jumped over the ball Adam was trying to hit and rolled into the corner pocket.

Adam sighed in frustration and pushed himself off the table.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a distracting opponent?”

“Hey, you got to be on your toes when you play against me,” he answered and went to retrieve the ball.

“And I meant what I said.”

“Likewise.”

***

It was late when they returned to Yugi’s place.  Although had anyone seen then they would have been able to tell that both men had had a great time.  Adam had even managed to win the last game and he was pretty sure Yugi hadn’t just been letting him do so.  Yugi unlocked the door He didn’t know the last time he felt so happy and whatever it was Yugi wanted to remember seemed not to be so important after all.  Adam meanwhile steeled himself for what must now be done and deal with whatever came after.  Still maybe he could soften the blow just a little? 

“Yugi?”

“Yes?”

“Would you be terribly offended if I kissed you?”

“After all this I would be terribly offended if you didn’t.” 

Yugi eagerly went over to him and slid his arms around his shoulders.  Adam leaned in and let one hand move come up and move through Yugi’s hair, he marvelled at how long it was now.  Their lips touched softly and it was if with that tiny gesture of love the floodgates were opened, for both of them.  The barriers that had kept so much information at bay were washed away.  Images and words and faces all came back to them in instant.  Weeks of dreams and visions that had been puzzled over and a cause for such confusion and second-guessing by both men became crystal clear.

_A hand covered in black marker. “So when Yugi’s dealing no matter how tough it gets he’ll that he’s not alone.  We’re all right there with him!”_

_Everything learned along the way. “The wish granted by my puzzle can never be given back it’s impossible.”_

_Saying goodbye to him. “The gift of kindness you’ve given me and the courage I’ve given you will remain with us and that will forever bind us together.”_

_And the life that had come afterwards. “Joey, you know I can’t change your tab grandpa would kill me.”_

_“Screw the rules, Yugi, I need cash!”_

They stepped backed as the flash of memories faded for a moment seeing the other man in front of them fully for the first time.

“Yugi!”

“Atemu!”

Atemu moved to embrace him, but Yugi held up his hand a pleading look in his eyes.

“Prove it to me.  Show me this isn’t some cruel trick or glorious dream, please.”

Atemu easily obliged, reached down the collar of his shirt, and pulled out the cartouche, baring within it the familiar symbols now easily readable to Yugi’s trained mind. 

_“Bird, rock, lamb chop, bird, and a bigger bird.”_

It was him.  No one else would ever have that.  Chocking back a sob Yugi launched himself at his other half.  He hugged him fiercely, his nails digging into his shoulders.  Atemu responded with equal ferocity his arms wrapped so tightly around his partner that Yugi found it difficult to breathe, but he made no motion to get Atemu to loosen his hold afraid that he might just float away as the whole thing just felt completely surreal.  

“Yugi, I-”

“Don’t-don’t say anything…Just don’t speak.”

And Atemu didn’t he just continued to hold him letting tears of joy slip from his eyes.  He had found the one he knew he was destined to find all those weeks ago at long last, his Yugi.  Eventually he stepped back to see completely the man his light had become, cupping Yugi’s face in his hands he admired every facial feature in amazement.

“Look at you.”

“Ashamed to be dating someone who looks so old right?”

“And who was the one who always complained about looking so young for his age?”

“Well I take it back.” 

Atemu just smiled and hugged him again. 

“I love you, Yugi, I always have and to be with you again like this in indescribable.”

“I know.”


	11. Memories

_The fields have grown over now_

_Years since they’ve seen the plow_

_There’s nothing time hasn’t touched_

_Is it really him or the loss of my innocence_

_I’ve been missing so much_

_\- Deana Carter, Strawberry Wine_

 

Yugi had said he needed some air and went to take a walk.  As he circled his block for the third time he stopped and looked at his front door wondering if he should go in yet.  Then Yugi shoved his hands into his pockets and continued walking.  Everything was still so fresh… and it _hurt_.  He remembered everything the duels, the adventures…the final battle and its aftermath.

_He kept rubbing his chest the entire way home.  Kept searching for the weight the he knew wasn’t there anymore, but wanted there anyway, and his grandfather hadn’t failed to notice._

_“It’s okay to miss him, Yugi.”_

_“What!  I don’t-well of course I do, but you-you don’t have to worry you know.”_

_Yugi had never been a very good liar._

_“Yugi, I’ve seen you put up a strong front for the pharaoh and for your friends, but you don’t need to be strong for me.  Let it out.”_

_And let it out he did as he crumpled to the floor screaming and choking on his tears._

_“It’s all right, Yugi, it’s all right.”_

_“I thought that duel meant it wasn’t going to hurt like this damn it!”_

_Solomon Mutou was never one to tolerate swearing in his presence and had been known to hit Joey with several thick newspapers over the years for the habit, but now made an exception knowing his grandson was in no emotional condition to deal with a lecture._

_“I’m so sorry, Yugi, I know how hard this is.”_

_“How can you possibly know how this feels?”_

_Solomon eased himself down beside Yugi pulled out an old photograph of a young woman and held it in his hand._

_“When your grandma died I felt as though I’d lost a part of myself.  After so many years of sharing a home, a family, a life together suddenly she was gone, and even though others suffered a loss with me it was not the same.  They had lost a friend, a sister, a mother, but I was the only one who had lost a wife.  Just as your friends have lost a friend, a rival, and even a crush their loss is not as heavy.  Because there were times when he wasn’t there.  They might go days or even weeks without seeing him, but you didn’t.  For every accomplishment and failure he was there.  In all your adventures and when you did nothing at all there was nothing you two did not share and it is hard to adjust to life that doesn’t have that special person anymore, but you will.”_

_Yugi sniffled and leaned his head against his grandpa’s shoulder.  “It’s like this whole thing is a dream, and I’ll wake up any minute and he’ll still be here you know?”_

_“I know, Yugi, and it’s going to feel like that for a long time, and I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but it’s good that you feel this way.  It means that you and the Pharaoh have shared something that no other two people can ever duplicate and you will always have those memories to treasure.”_

As usual Grandpa had been right.  He had moved on and found joy in other things and other people, but as the years went on and certain events like the game with his last lover made him wonder, hope even, that Atemu might come back one day and now he had.

For so long he had wanted this.  For Atemu to come back so they could be one again.  He should be happy.  He was supposed to be screaming his joy from the rooftops that his other self had finally come home.  So why wasn’t he?  _Because I don’t love Atemu…I love Adam._ It was true.  Although he had had feelings for his other half that were much more than what he felt for his friends or even his grandfather, and he had missed Atemu terribly he hadn’t loved him.  Right?  Just because what he had gone through was similar to what his grandfather had experienced did not mean the relationships were the same.  There had been women that he had cared for since then, hell there had been other men!  Besides Adam was everything Atemu wasn’t.  He was shy, uncertain, and humble.  Yet here he was saying he loved even more now than ever, that he had always loved him.      

Yugi shook his head in defiance.  That didn’t change anything!  He wasn’t Adam anymore he was Atemu.  The lost pharaoh, well if one was to be technical he wasn’t lost now, but that was beside the point. No one else knew that they were one and the same and he preferred to keep it that way.  Being the pharaoh again made him the confident one.  His protector something Yugi didn’t need anymore.   _So do I still love him?_ This answer to that was yes he knew, but, _does he still love me?_   He had said so but that had been during an incredibly emotional moment and Yugi wasn’t sure if he meant it, and if he did which Yugi he meant it to.  Being away from them and the life he had known had changed him and had realized that the very first summer he had come back.

_“When I said you should do something with your hair, Yugi, I didn’t mean this.”_

_Yugi smiled and gently tugged on his hair, tied back in a long braid, and that now fell well below his back.  Probably thinks I am still a virgin too he thought and went inside the Game Shop._

_Everything was just as he had left it.  Grandpa had even made sure there was a thin layer of dust on everything to give it that lived in look.  All too soon the gang had shown up and he had gone out with his friends to all their old hang outs, after they had gotten over the shock of seeing him finally hit puberty.  It had been wonderful it really had, but as he sat on his bed at the end of the first week looking at his old Duel Monster posters that were beginning to peel off the wall he saw that things were different, that he was different.  The gang didn’t really want to talk about anyone they were dating probably to preserve some sense of innocence of the time when just being a gang of friends was enough of a social life, They seemed surprised that he wanted to talk about sports and politics.  Seto Kiaba never once came over to demand he duel him for his title, and Mokuba was tall!  It was a tough realization, but he made it all the same:_

_“I’m home, but it’s not really mine anymore.”_

He was nothing like the boy he’d been back then and he wanted Atemu to realize that because by the gods did he ever love that man.

He entered the house to find Atemu engrossed in a game of Solitaire at the kitchen table.  Always been a bit too keen in observation he immediately got up and went over to Yugi in concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, something I don’t know how to begin.” 

“Is it me?  Is it something I said, something I did?  Something I didn’t say, didn’t do?”

Yugi thought about it for a moment before simply answering, “I’m not who I use to be.”

Atemu looked at him dumbstruck. “Don’t you think I know that?” he asked moving closer.  “Do you really think I believe that you haven’t changed since I left?  By the gods, Yugi, that was over ten years ago!  I didn’t spend these last months falling in love with a boy who up until a few hours ago I had no memory of.  Who you didn’t even remember being.  I love you, for you!  Not for who you use to be! I-I-”

He turned away and began massaging his forehead with his fingers.  Yugi came and placed his hands on his arm and shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

“I would never make the assumption that because we remember our history together you would suddenly question your feelings for me and it hurts that you think so little of me as to assume I would just drop everything to bring back that boy I use to protect.”

“But you don’t deny that you loved that boy.”

Atemu moved away from Yugi letting himself drop onto the couch where Edmund promptly took possession of his lap. 

He closed his eyes thinking about the connection they’d once had and shivered.  No, he certainly couldn’t deny that he had loved Yugi then.  Knowing it could never be he had not told his desires to Yugi, and at the time had hoped that one day they would see each other differently and he could let him know of his feelings then.  So did that mean what he felt now was just a carry over from that and he didn’t really care for Yugi as he was now?  No, no this time it meant more because it had grown at a time when things were mundane.  The fate of the world didn’t hinge on finding a certain artefact or defeating an enemy together.  These feelings were born from mere attraction to him physically, emotionally, and not just because fate had forced two individuals together who under normal circumstances would have had nothing to do with each other.

“Yugi, what I felt for you then whatever it was, was wonderful.  But what we have now is so much more than that so pure so real.  Can you not see that?”

Yugi stared at the floor.

“Yugi, please.”

“This isn’t easy for me you know.  I wasn’t all that great when you left.  By the time I got to a point where I could move on from you no one would let me.  It was like without you they didn’t think I could handle anything anymore.  It took a lot of years before everyone finally seemed to understand that I was going to survive on my own.  It was one the reasons I came out here.  To prove to them that my life really was my own.”

“I’m sorry, Yugi, I never knew my leaving would be so painful for everyone.”

“No one did, you know how teenagers are, they think they’re invincible.  I don’t think we really associated your leaving with the finality of death that it was.  We knew you were going of course, but it seemed like it wasn’t death gone but more like…like going on vacation gone.  That some how the duel was going to end and you weren’t going to leave or that we’d go back home and you’d be there waiting for us and we’d go off on our next great adventure.  But there wasn’t going to be anymore adventures just school and normal life kind of stuff.  We didn’t think it was really going to be as hard as it was.”  He picked up the deck of cards off the table and began to shuffle them. 

“It was easy,” he said flipping the cards over and tossing them back on the table, “during the duel to forget how high the stakes really were.  To focus on what was the culmination of everything we’d ever been through.  To think that all the things you taught us would really replace you physical presence in our lives. To pretend that losing a person you care for is something you can just move on from.”

“But that duel was supposed to show that you were ready to be free from me!”

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that duel was really a test of your character not mine,” he answered tersely flicking the last card so it landed cleanly in his hat he had left carelessly on the floor.  “The true tests for me would come in getting up every morning and not reaching for the puzzle.  In reminding myself not to talk to myself about some funny comment that had just been made or about some event that had happened during the day, because no one was going to answer.  And knowing that on nights when I couldn’t sleep there would only be the wind for company.  And look’s who’s talking I’m not even the one who left behind a person I loved with all my heart.”

Atemu just shrugged as if his feelings were really so frivolous.  As if that the night before their battle he had only left Yugi alone to build his deck and not to try and deal with the knowledge that his desires could never be realised.

_Pharaoh, I have a feeling she wanted to say goodbye to you…sorry._

_You should not be Atemu thought knowing Yugi would not hear him as_ _he sat on the only set of stairs left in the vast array of Egyptian art and architecture that was now his soulroom.  On the far end opposite him a picture rested on the wall Atemu looked at it.  He didn’t recognize everyone, but he knew they had once been close to him and now they waited for his return._

_Yet he mused in the one space that showed the last of his confusion and uncertainty: his desire for Yugi.  He had accepted long ago that he had fallen and fallen hard for the young boy.  At first he did what he usually did when faced with some uncomfortable realizations, went into the river of denial and tried to drown himself in it, but eventually he came to terms with this unexpected twist is his plan and by the end of Battle City was even happy with this now found feeling.  He loved Yugi, he wanted to touch him to please him as no friend or close brother could.  However, he was a rational man, despite Kaiba’s belief to the contrary, and knew that no good could come of pursing his feelings.  Yugi was a living person and he no matter how much he hated to admit it was dead.  A wandering spirit with unfinished business and nothing more, and besides Yugi still blushed ever now and again when Téa wore one of her tighter outfits and this confirmed for Atemu that his beloved was straight as a telephone pole.  Still that didn’t stop a small part of him from hoping that maybe just maybe when all the duelling was over and the last villain slunk off to lick their wounds that he could focus on Yugi and perhaps push their connection to a more intimate level.   Now destiny had once again stepped in to wreck his fantasies and clearly he wasn’t the only one dealing with disappointment.  There was no point fighting it though, the decision had already been made.  With the coming dawn they had to all realize that fate had its own plans and that many hopes and dreams would not come to be._

He shook himself out of his revive and turned to look at Yugi again.

“Yet you did move on.  You have built a life that doesn’t contain me unless you wish it to.  You have made yourself into someone most people could only dream of being.”   

“You flatter me and I suppose it’s true, but until now I have never been whole again.” 

“Whole?"

Yugi nodded. “I accepted the fact that I was never going to get over you.  That no matter how fulfilled or happy I was, and please don’t make the mistake of thinking I went through seven years of endless exams and textbooks in some vain hope that I could get you back, I didn’t.  I love my job and the life I’ve built for myself.”  He sighed. “Anyway I realized early on that there was always going to be this void in me.  This hole that would never be filled because you weren’t with me anymore, you get it don’t you?”

“I understand,” he said thinking back to all the times he had stood on his balcony and looked over his kingdom, filled with his friends and family.  At everything he had worked so hard to have and felt empty because he wanted Yugi there to share it with.

“They didn’t, my friends I mean.  They couldn’t seem to understand that I was okay with having this part of me be forever empty.  They were convinced I needed to fill it with nice girls, a better job, 3.5 kids, and a house with a white picket fence.  Oh, the looks and comments I endured when I told them I’d majored in Egyptology.  I think Joey blew a gasket when I told them I’d moved to Cairo.”

“It seems they don’t understand that your love of Egypt and your love for me are two completely separate entities.”

“Looking back on it now even I thought they were connected too at first.  I assumed that my mourning for you was the reason for my longing for the sands and noise filled nights of the country I’d left behind.  I though that if I just read some books about it in the library it would go away, but it didn’t.  It only got worse, my craving for this world was almost insasable so eventually I stopped fighting it.  It worried them.  I guess they saw it as an unhealthy way to cope.  I think in their minds with you gone I was suppose to stop being such a nerd.”

“A what?”

“A person who is obsessed with knowledge and working out logical problems, including puzzles and strategy games.”

“Isn’t that something they’re supposed to like about you?”

“They liked it when it just really defined to games because they could be part of it with me.  My interest in Egyptology wasn’t something they could share with me and I was-am so devoted to it.  It’s weird because no one got on Téa’s case about being devoted to dance, but I guess I was just special.  Honestly I think I scared them a bit being so forceful about it.”

_“And we don’t want to see you waste your life away in some endless search for the pharaoh!”_

_“Atemu?  You actually think this has anything to do with him?” Yugi asked, sitting up straighter in his chair as his friends and grandfather continued their ‘intervention’ around his kitchen table._

_“Come on, Yugi!  He was a pharaoh in Egypt and now Egypt is all you want to do with your life.  Not even Joey’s dumb enough to not connect the dots.”_

_“Watch it.”_

_“You didn’t seem to have a problem when I picked it as my major.”_

_“Well we didn’t think you’d stick with it!”_

_“Oh, so you thought me nearly killing myself working to pay for college where I worked my butt off to constantly make it on the Dean’s list was all a big joke.  Well then thank you all so much for your unwavering support.”_

_“Yugi, that’s not what we meant and you know it!”_

_“Then what did you mean?”_

_Téa_ _reached across the table and took his hand._

_“Yugi, it’s great to finally see you so focused on your studies, but we’re all worried that you spend so much time on this that you don’t have time for intimate relationships.”_

_Yugi had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.  One of these days he was going to have to share the story of how he had broken his dorm mattress and box spring._

_“Téa_ _is right, Yugi, there is more to life than your career and none of use want to see you waste some of the best years of you life chasing an illusion and losing everything else.”_

_“For now my career is where I want to put my focus.  That doesn’t mean I don’t want to maintain ties with all of you in fact I-”_

_“That’s exactly what it means, Yug!  For that last four years we’ve hardly seen ya and when we do you come back looking like that!” Joey yelled pointing to his hair, his dangling earrings, and Yugi knew, if he could point to it, the fact that his voice while it had stopped sliding around the vocal scale still sounded too much like Atemu’s to their ears._

_“Does that scare you?”_

_Joey closed his mouth at that question and dropped back into his seat._

_“It does, doesn’t it?  That I am making decisions for myself that don’t involve you guys.  That you disagree with.”_

_“Yugi, please don’t turn into some bratty little child over this.”_

_Yugi shoved his chair away and stood up in anger at that comment._

_“It is my life, Grandpa, and I will live it as I see fit.”_

_“But, Yug-”_

_“This discussion is over and the topic is closed.”_

_With that he turned away from them went to his old room.  Closing the door behind him he looked over to his desk where the letter that would decide much of his future rested.  He snorted in amusement, and he thought it was going to be a difficult decision to make._

_The phone rang four times before the machine picked up and he left a message._

_“This is Yugi Mutou I was calling to inform you that…I’d like to accept the position.”_

_***_

_“Mama, look!”_

_“Andrew, you know it’s rude to point at people!”_

_“It’s all right I don’t mind,” Yugi said setting aside his book as the little boy approached him holding out a Winged Kuriboh card._

_“Will you sign it…please?”_

_“Of course.”_

_He reached into his backpack for a marker._

_“You changed your hair.”_

_He nodded and reached up to touch the tips of it still feeling almost bald after having hair long enough to sit on for so long._

_“What do you think?”_

_“It makes you look old.”_

_“That was the look I was going for,” he said and handed the card back to the boy._

_“Thanks.”_

_“Flight 236 to Cairo, Egypt is now boarding.” Came the announcement of the intercom._

_“I’m sorry that’s my flight I have to go.”_

_The boy thanked him once again as he made his way to the gate.  He took one last look out the window where the rain was still coming down.  It wasn’t the greatest way to start the next chapter of his life, but he knew it was time and he was ready to see what awaited him beyond Domino._

_***_

_The place was a disaster.  Boxes were strewn everywhere, half of them weren’t where he told the movers to put them, and he was pretty sure every plate and bowl he had had been broken.  He sighed and bent down to start sorting through the mess when he heard the familiar chime of his cell phone, did he dare answer it?  Checking the ID confirmed what he suspected and he flipped it open._

_“Hello.”_

_“Yugi.”_

_“Grandpa.”_

_“Yugi, please don’t be angry with me.”_

_“I’m not angry, Grandpa, disappointed and frustrated, but not angry.”_

_“I’m sorry, Yugi, I never meant to push you away or belittle your accomplishments.  I know how hard archaeology is and I don’t want you to do something foolish I just, I just want you here, at home."_

_“I am home.”_

_He smiled enjoying the momentary silence on the other end._

_“I call you again when I’m settled,” he said and hung up._

“Do you still talk with them?  I’d hate to think I was responsible for-”

“Oh, oh no don’t worry we made up in the end.  We always do.  They were my friends through some of the toughest years of my life I couldn’t cut them out completely.  Its just never been quite the same that’s all.  Still misguided as it was they were just trying to show they cared.  Although they’re probably ready to kill me now though since I’ve acted like they don’t exist for so long.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand it’s not like you planned to lose your memories.”

“But you see now why you can’t push into that mold again?”     

“So, I am not allowed to think that you have become the same person you were so long ago simply because you remember who you are, but you are allowed to judge me in the same fashion.  Forgive me, Yugi, but that is hardly fair.

“Knowing who you were it just adds to my feelings for you.  I admit there have been times I’ve wanted to protect you, but I don’t because I can see that you no longer need it.  Just as I no longer need you to teach me kindness and compassion.   That part of our relationship is over, and I’d like to think that now we have the chance to build something that is even better than what we had before.  Please don’t tell me that all we’ve done before tonight doesn’t mean anything to you.”

“No of course it does!  It’s just…I don’t know if I can see you the same now that I have these memories back.”

“There was a time you were willing to give that all up for me.”

There had indeed.

_“I believe in you, Yugi.”_

_“Who are you to believe in me?”_

_“What?”_

_“Who are you?  I mean you know all about me and know almost nothing about you.”_

_“I can’t tell you.”_

_“Why?  Am I not good enough?”_

_“I can’t tell you because I don’t know.”_

_“But, Yami, you said you were a pharaoh in Egypt.”_

_“Yes and that is all I know.  My memories of my life before you unlocked me are few and clouded.  I don’t even know my true name Yami is just a nickname, I think.”_

_“Of course, because a Pharaoh’s true name is sacred.”_

_“You know that?”_

_“Just a useless bit of trivia I picked up.  I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought this up.”_

_“No you have every right to be curious about me.  I’m sorry that I can’t give you the answers you seek. ”_

_“Please let’s just change the subject.”_

_“All I know is that as long as you have the puzzle, I will be here.”_

_“No more.”_

_“So I will-”_

_“No more!”_

_“Even if I don’t get my memories back I always want to be with you.”_

_“Me too!  Always.  I’ll-I’ll give you all of my memories.”_

Wasn’t that exactly what he’d done? When they had first met his memories had started to come back faster then before, so if he had gone back to Domino and been among his friends and family they might have come back in a matter of weeks instead of months, but he hadn’t.  He didn’t work towards recovering because he knew if only subconsciously that he needed to meet Atemu again on a blank slate.  Where neither of them had any pre-conceived notions of how the other was supposed to act.  And hadn’t he made the first move, invited Atemu into his life and allowed those first feelings to grow?  He had indeed and so there was nothing to worry about after all, other than the fact that he had just hurt his partner’s feelings. 

“You’re right, Adam-uh-Atemu…umm what should I call you?”

“You can call me whatever you want,” he answered dejectedly practically folding into himself.

Yugi came over and put his hands on Atemu’s shoulders.  Slowly coming to sit on the couch he whispered into his ear,   

“Aibou.”


	12. Duel Monsters is Like Making Love

_“Tonight I want to hold you_

_I want to look into your eyes_

_I want to watch these broken dreams_

_Turn into memories_

_Just like water baby_

_Just like water into wine.”_

_-Patty Loveless, Water into Wine_

 

Yugi stirred, as the warm sun peak its way through the bedroom blinds, in the process kicking a bottle to the floor that landed beside its lid, that had quickly been thrown off the bed, in the haste of the night’s activities.  He sat up and thought about picking them up before quickly deciding the bed was far too comfortable to leave for the moment.  He turned to the man beside him and smiled as he watched his lover’s face as he continued to sleep.  Atemu shivered and Yugi wrapped his arms around just as he use to do for him thinking once again about how different he was now. _When did I grow up?  When did he grow up?_

Yugi had always assumed that Atemu already had his adult look back when they first met, but looking at him closely now that obviously wasn’t the case.  Besides the darker skin colour he now sported there were other subtle differences as well.  He was taller then he remembered and thinner too.  His eyes if it was possible seemed shaper and his hair, even though it was now mussed back to it usual pointed style from sleep, didn’t seem as wild anymore.  He was also skilled at the art of physical courtship that much was made very clear last night.

_Atemu looked up in surprise at how Yugi chose to address him_.  

_“You are different from who you were then, just like I am different, I see that now and I want to continue building what we have now for as long as we can.”_

_Yugi hugged him then as he could see there was still a great deal of uncertainty in Atemu’s eyes._

_“I can see you still have some doubts as to where we stand.”_

_Yugi moved so he was on top of Atemu, letting him lean back on the pillows, and began rubbing his hands along the collar of his shirt and allowing his fingertips to caress the back of Atemu’s neck._

_“Allow me to alleviate them.”_

_Atemu lay there in shock for a moment before slowly responding to Yugi’s caresses.  Letting his hands move underneath his partner’s shirt as Yugi’s hands worked their way into his hair.  Of all the things he knew had changed about his partner in all these years this one was quite surprising.  As he felt the muscles tightening under his touch he thought back to how sure he was that this time would never come.  Yugi kissed his neck and he shuddered under the sensation, it had certainly been worth the wait._

_Yugi began to move his hips against his and Atemu began letting his mind wander into strange territory.  Wondering if what they were doing was really appropriate for Edmund to be watching, and why he had picked pants that were so tight?  Before he could lose his mind too much he managed to pull Yugi off of him long enough to quickly mutter “upstairs.”_

_Yugi nodded and tugged him towards the stairs.  Both sets of socks were lost on the way up along with Atemu’s shirt.  As Atemu worked to open the bedroom door Yugi fumbled with the buckle on his belt and ran one hand down his thigh noticing the growing bulge._

_“If you keep this up it’s going to be a very short night.”_

_“I do know how to pace myself you know.  What do you take me for…a virgin?”_

_Yugi smiled wickedly. “Prove me wrong.”_

_He finally managed to get the belt off as Atemu opened the door causing both of them to fall backwards onto the bed._

Atemu did prove him wrong obviously.  Not that he wasn’t a veteran himself at this point.

_He was gorgeous.  With everything bare and on display in the moonlight it only made him more enticing.  The only problem was that he kept twisting out of position for proper preparation.  Then Yugi remembered that he didn’t know what his over lovers had so he knelt down, letting Atemu’s legs slip down around his own kissed him firmly on the lips, and whispered in his ear, “you should know that I always top.”_

_Atemu looked at him for a moment before grinning wildly_.

_“Strong words from you, partner.  Show me you’ve earned the right to take me.”_

_Yugi growled softly and kissed him again._

_“As you wish.”_

_Holding him tightly with one arm Yugi reached over Atemu’s shoulder and yanked a draw of his nightstand open to reveal several tubes in a variety of flavours._

_“Choose your piece.”_

_Atemu tilted his head back trying to read the labels upside down before simply grabbing the closest bottle and twisting off the cap.  Yugi was quick to attack grabbing the bottle without hesitation, but Atemu did indeed make him work for it, fighting to gain even the smallest advantage as their bodies rolled together and pushed back and forth until both of them eventually collapsed heaving against the pillows._

_“Did I earn it?”_

_“Indeed.”_

_“It was very nice.  You are very supple.”_

_“I know, are you?”_

_In a flash of energy he shouldn’t have possessed Atemu flipped Yugi over and pinned him firmly to the bed, Yugi smiled warily he should have known better this was a match not a single duel after all._

It had been nice very, very nice.  Yugi leaned down and gently pushed his bangs away from his face and watched Atemu’s eyes flutter open and look at him.

“So you’ve become a morning person too now huh?”

Yugi turned to look at the clock and said, “It’s twelve-thirty.  Trust me not even you can get me up before nine.”

“Well some things stay consistent after all nice to know.”

Atemu smiled and looked at Yugi with such adoration in eyes, and Yugi had to remind himself that this was really happening and that this time Atemu wasn’t going anywhere.

“What?”

“I’ve really missed you.”

“And I you.”

He lay down on Atemu’s chest and listened to his rhythmic heartbeat.  Knowing he would never get tired of that sound.

“It will always be yours you know.”

“Thank you.”

Eventually he got up to in search of his clothes as he bent down to pick up his pants, winced as his muscles protested against the movement, and rubbed the small of he back.  He hoped he wouldn’t be quite so sore next time.

He turned back to Atemu and said, “It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”

“You are very good.”

“You seem surprised.”

“Mildly amused.  From the way you blushed at all those tapes Joey use to bring over I wouldn’t have pegged you as a Casanova.”

“College does strange things to people.”

“Speaking of college do you mind if I ask you where your degree is or anything personal for that matter?  Even my apartment doesn’t have this many bare walls.” 

“I took most of the stuff down after the accident.  I didn’t want to look at people I didn’t recognize and events I didn’t remember.  Which reminds me, I have something for you.”

He got up and went across the hall and Atemu followed him into the guest room.  When he opened the door Atemu saw that the room was filled with photo albums, pictures, and newspaper clippings.  _Well this explains why the rest of the house is so empty._

Navigating around piles of clutter Yugi made his way across the room where a familiar gold box rested on a shelf. “It figures you know.  I’ve been ringing my hands trying to figure out what is missing from your tomb and it was sitting in my house collecting dust the whole time.”

Brushing the dust off the lid he opened the box and pulled out a thick stack of cards.

“You still have your deck?”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“I would have thought the King of Games’ deck would something to be put on display.”

“So kids can smudge their fingerprints all over the glass cover and try to steal my cards in hopes of winning a duel?  No I think I will keep them with me thank you.”

Yugi carefully separated a portion of the deck and held it out to him.

“Here.”

“You kept it?”

“Did you really expect me not to?”

_No of course not_.

“Take it.”     

“No I can’t really I-”

“Why not?  It’s yours after all.”

“Well you’ve had it in your possession for so long I wouldn’t feel right.  It’s a memento.”

“Why should I keep a memento when I have the real thing?”

Atemu at last gave in and grasped the deck.

“Thank you.”

He looked it over gently flipping through the cards that held so many memories.  Glancing up again he noticed the chain around Yugi’s neck that had intrigued him long ago that he had yet to ask about.

“You’ve told me a lot about yourself, but you haven’t explained that,” he said pointing to his chest.

“Oh, this.”

He picked up the necklace and twirled the chain in his fingers.

“I carved it myself when I completed my first year of college.  Just like you discovered yourself once your name was put on that cartouche I had discovered myself and what I wanted to do with my life.  It seemed really fitting.”

“I’m flattered that you thought so highly of me for so long and slightly freaked out too.”

“Hey, we shared a body and a brain for several years it was bound to make us both a bit off kilter, you want to go get some lunch?”

“Sounds good to me.” 

***

“Two burgers, one deluxe one regular, fries,  and a large strawberry milkshake.”

“What no chocolate?”

“Come on I didn’t forget,” he said, and handed him another cup.

Sliding into the car he pulled out the other burger from the bag that was dripping in sauce and toppings and Atemu just looked at him.

“Hey, just because I’ve grown up doesn’t mean everything has to change,” he said and took a bite out of his hamburger. “The gang and I always do this whenever we meet up.   Anytime we all get together it’s always at Burgerworld or some other fast food place.  It’s like going to a fancy restaurant means we really are all adults.  It’s still weird to think about it sometimes.”

“Tell me about that, about them, about everything.”

“Téa is still is dancing she is going to be in a performance this Christmas I think.  Tristan has gone back to school to get his masters degree and Joey went to business school, if you can believe it, and last I checked was trying to get some partnership going with Mai.”

“Business or pleasure?”

Yugi smiled. “Both.  I haven’t seen much of Bakura in a while.  He is always traveling it seems.  Marik moved to Canada something about wanting to live in completely different climate.”

“He is aware that Canada isn’t always cold right?”

“He is now.”

“What about your grandfather?”

“He’s still running the shop, up at six am everyday and out sweeping the sidewalk.  I swear he is going to out live each and every one of us.  And you know they’ve changed the build of these, there used to be more pickles.”

“What would you know about that?”

“I worked at a burger joint for almost four years straight to help pay for college.  It takes a lot of money to learn about a bunch of royal dead guys.”

“Just for that.” He reached over and grabbed a handful of fries out of the bag.

“Hey, get your own fries!”

“I’d love to, but I am on a fixed income.”

“And what would you like me to do about that?”

“Well since you’re my boss, can I have a raise?”

“No you may not.”

“You’re not a very fair employer you know that?”

“Hey you’re already entitled to an exclusive set of benefits don’t push your luck.”

“Fine, but get curly fries next time.”

Yugi rolled his eyes and finished off his hamburger before dropping one hand into Atemu’s hand and squeezing it hard.

“Have I told you how much I love you?”

“No actually you haven’t.”

“Well I do.  I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before,” he leaned his head against Atemu’s shoulder, “and welcome home.”

 


	13. Complications

_“Darkness falls across the land_

_The midnight hour is close at hand_

_Creatures crawl in search in of blood_

_To terrorize your neighbourhood.”_

_-Vincent Price, Thriller_

 

Atemu sat in the car glaring into the darkness.  He had a bad feeling about all this and was slightly mad at Yugi for not recognizing the possible danger.  With his personal life back in the firmest shape it had been for several years it was only natural that Yugi would begin attacking his professional problem again with a vengeance.  Having full knowledge of whose tomb it was that he had found only made Yugi more eager to learn everything about it and to protect it at all costs and in Atemu’s mind his obsession made him slightly careless.

Hoppekkins had asked to speak with him tonight abut letting him come back to work and he had gone.  Never questioning that something was wrong with the situation. Atemu had come with him sensing that something was indeed very wrong.  Yugi had made no secret of all the trouble he had trying to get Hoppekkins to let him come back to fieldwork, why would he suddenly change his mind about it now?  There was someone else, someone more sinister, involved in all this.  He had allowed himself to be distracted from it by Yugi and their entire reunion and it might have cost them.

Tired of waiting he stormed out of the car and went inside the museum.  The atmosphere seemed to become colder and colder as he walked through the corridors.  His eyes darted from side to side a he heard frantic footsteps coming towards him and then something slammed into him from behind.  He managed to stay standing, but was thrown off balance again as Yugi up grabbed his arm and started yanking down the hallway.

“Yugi what on earth is going on?”

“Talk later run now!”

“From what?”

“Those!”

Atemu looked behind him to see what looked like a wolf pack come charging around a corner.  His eyes widened in shock and Atemu quickly picked up his pace and shouted questions as Yugi as they ran.

“Yugi what the hell happened!”

“I don’t know one minute I was talking to him normally and the next minute he just morphed and duplicated into that!”

Yugi swung arm backwards for emphasis they turned around just into time to see a bright blast of white light as the duplicates disappeared into wisps of black smoke.  The original, however, kept charging forward.

They turned sharply left weaving in and out of rooms trying to lose it.

“What do we do?” Yugi asked as he knew they were fast running out of museum to run in and they couldn’t let that thing get outside and hurt others.

“I don’t know!”

“What do you mean you don’t know?  Why can’t you just repeat what you did back there?!”

“What I did?!  Yugi, don’t you realize that was all you?”

“What!?  But, but I don’t have shadow powers that was always your thing!”

“But you’ve done it before you must have.  They don’t develop just like that!”

“There was one time yes, but I didn’t think that was me!  Not since I got my memories back! I thought that was you giving vengeance from the grave or something!”

“No I was not allowed contact with you in the afterlife.”

“Well that’s just great! Wait why don’t you deal with him, you’ve done it before!”

“That was a one time thing against one enemy in area where I was familiar and no wonder it was so easy!  I was in contact with you and your powers are nothing, but uncontrolled raw energy.  You are a ticking time bomb.”

“I really don’t need to know this right now, Atemu, and what about the time in the basement you did it then too!”

“That doesn’t count!  That was a shifting of shadows and a mere mental suggestion.  It was nothing!  This requires concentration and mental energy I can’t cook up it at a moment’s notice!”

Their argument was interrupted as the hallway they were now in ended by splitting off in two directions. 

“Split up!”

Yugi shoved Atemu in one direction as he dashed only to curse his stupidity a moment later as he hit a dead end. He turned around to see the wolf-creature had followed and as it caught up to him it morphed back to bald headed man he had always known.

“Mr. Hoppekkins, I know we’ve had our disagreements, but really this is far too extreme.”

The figure stopped and seemed to struggle for a moment strangled whispers escaping him.  

“It can’t be reasoned with.  It can’t be controlled.  It-it feeds on me.”

“What does?”

He didn’t answer and instead lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Yugi’s throat and began squeezing.

His grip loosened in an instant as an artefact collided with his head.  With the man dazed Yugi jumped on the opportunity, pulled his hands away from his throat, and punched him in the jaw.  Mr. Hoppekins fell to the floor in an unconscious heap.

“Nice shot.”

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, is he okay?  We didn’t hurt him that badly did we?”

“Why the concern?  He just tried to kill you.”

“It wasn’t him he said something.  Something about a force that controls him, that feeds on him.”

“If were dealing with a magical element then yes whatever it is could feed off negative emotions is his personality really like this?”

“Yes I mean yeah he’s been abrasive and, in my opinion down right stupid lately, more than he normally is, but it’s no secret that he’s greedy or how much he dislikes me.”

“I thought it was what is controlling him that was causing his behaviour.”

“Whatever is controlling him may have brainwashed him, but he’s perfectly capable of being a total asshole all on his own.”

“Then I don’t feel so bad in fact I wish I’d hit him harder.”

Atemu bent down over the prone figure and noticed that his left shirt seemed to be twisted around something underneath the fabric.  He rolled up his sleeve revealing a bright blue armband with a ruby red eye staring up at them.

“Oh, fuck no!”

***

Back at the house, after making an anonymous call that someone had broken into the museum, both men sat at the table staring at the object.

“It was over, done, finished!  Why is it back again?”

“Since when does evil have a set schedule?”

“I don’t know it seems to show up just when I get use to the idea of being normal,” Yugi said rubbing a hand over his face in aggravation.

“Well what are we going to do with it?”

“We are going to get rid of it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Obvious, how?”

“Will smash it.  I’ll go get a hammer.”

Atemu quickly grabbed Yugi’s arm and yanked him back down into his chair.

“Yugi, I don’t care how much time has past since the Seal of Orichalcos incident I will not be alone with anything mystical that is not mine.”

“And after what happened last time we faced one of these things and I had to deal with rotted walking mummies you’re not leaving me here with it.”

“Fine will both go and let Edmund watch it.”

Atemu carefully lifted the cat onto the table where Edmund hissed and spat and the offending object.

“Smart cat.”

With the arm band now under careful watch both of them quickly went off to retrieve the hammer.  They came quickly and began hitting the object over and over again until only small bits of blue glass remained.  Every muscle tensed in their bodies tensed in anticipation in case some horrible creature popped out of it at any moment.

Sweeping the bits of glass into the garbage Yugi asked, “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t over?”    

“Because it isn’t.  He wasn’t the mastermind behind this we know that.  What we don’t know is who is, and what they plan to do next.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Now we begin training.”

“Training from you, the guy who couldn’t pull it together a few hours ago?”

“I said the last time was easy for me and it would be harder now.  I never said I couldn’t do it again.  I can remember what my abilities are and how to use them I merely need more practice.  You have no such luxury.  Your powers are new to you and thus unpredictable.  I can teach you to control them at will.”

Yugi sat down in silence as Atemu went upstairs to get their decks absorbing what Atemu had been trying to tell him all night.  That he had powers of his own that he might be able to do the things that Atemu, Marik, and Bakura were doing when he was a teenager.  That he might have even a fraction of Atemu’s ability was…really, really cool and he was suddenly intrigued by the possibilities before him.  He looked up at Atemu as he came back downstairs.

“Can I learn to summon like you?”

Atemu smiled at his enthusiasm. “Soon.”

He quickly shuffled both sets of cards and handed one to Yugi with smirk.

“Ready?”

“Let’s go.”


	14. Duel

_“Earth, sky_

_Day, night_

_Sound and silence_

_Dark and light_

_One alone is not enough_

_You need both together.”_

_-Mulan, Mulan 2_

 

Atemu and Yugi were on their guard for days after that encounter.  Waiting, keeping an eye out for any strange activity and, much to the growing annoyance of both men, nothing happened.

Yugi came downstairs after a short, two hour, nap to find Atemu slumped down in his chair at the table as the radio blared on, on the table.

“Atemu!”

“I wasn’t sleeping!” he announced, sitting up straighter in the chair and rubbing his eyes. “And if I was it wasn’t restful.”

“Sure you weren’t.  Anything new?” Yugi asked dropping into a chair himself.

“No, no strange weather anomalies, no reported incidents, they haven’t even updated on finding Mr. Hopekkins at the museum and…and you aren’t listening to anything I’ve said.”

“Of course I’m listening. My eyes are closed so I can fully absorb your words without distractions.”

“Very funny.”

Yugi sighed. “Maybe we’re going about this all wrong. I mean what evidence do we have that whoever has set this all up, whatever it is, is going to act now?”

“They sent Hopekkins to deal with you,” Atemu said plainly. “Whoever they are, they felt they were ready to attack openly and they failed.  Whoever is behind all this was using him we both witnessed that, and now they know we know they are here so they have to make a move eventually and they won’t wait long to allow us to be fully prepared.”

Yugi nodded, it made sense.  Although he hoped they had made more progress than their enemy was expecting.  He leaned back, rolling his shoulders; he was still sore after the last training session.

The phone rang and he jumped out of seat to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Yugi, you haven’t died of boredom yet I’m impressed.”

“Nice to hear from you too, you call about something other than my lack of a life, Megan?”

“Yes actually I did.  We have a…really strange and creepy anomaly going on at my site, and this is more your area of expertise.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.  We didn’t do anything to the site and then suddenly some weird black fog came floating out and-”

“I’m on my way!”

He slammed down the phone and ran to the closet, Atemu close behind.  Hurriedly tossing him supplies and grabbing his keys. 

“They just made their move.”

***

His old beat up car made it in record time to the site; and what a sight it was of people standing around staring at the blackness the crept up from the ground.

Yugi got out of the car as Megan ran up to him.

“Yugi, you made it.”

“I said I’d be here, has there been any change?”

“No, but it just came out of nowhere!”

“Is there anyone in there?” Atemu asked.

“No we managed to evacuate everyone before then.” 

“Good, we must move quickly.”

“Wait!” Yugi called out to him.

Atemu came back over as Yugi popped the trunk of his car, to reveal two new duel disks, compact, shiny…and black.

“Nice,” Atemu said and quickly slipped one on his arm.

Someone laughed.

“What are you two going to do?  Duel it into submission?”

“Something like that,” Yugi snapped back.

They approached the entrance cautiously.

“You sense it too don’t you?” Atemu asked.

“Yes, it’s almost bone chilling.”

Atemu reached over and gently squeezed his shoulder.

“I have faith in you, Yugi, you are ready.”

“I hope so.”

They descended into the dark underground caverns until they opened up to a large room where a woman with dark black hair stood in the centre.  Dressed in a simple white robe, a large blue necklace with several red gems embedded in it, and menacing glint in her eyes.

“What is the meaning of this!?”

“Always the blunt one aren’t you, Pharaoh?  I mean to avenge those that died at your hands, all those whose land you stole from them and to take back what is rightfully ours. ”

“You tried before and failed we will defeat you again!”

“True I underestimated your partner’s resourcefulness.” She turned to Yugi. “You were quicker than I planned with his resurrection, and a fast learner, but no matter.  It will not be enough to save you or your world.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Yugi said.

She smiled. “So, you say, but men are so easy to manipulate.  I knew you would come to me where I have the advantage. ”

The ornament around her neck suddenly began to glow.  The bright light enveloped her body.  She grew larger and the light grew brighter still.  They shielded their eyes from it and when the light faded at last and they could see again a giant, multi-headed, snake was towering over them.

“Run!”

And run they did trying to find cover.

“I don’t understand what she wants!” Yugi yelled.

“And I am supposed to?!” Atemu yelled back as he pulled out a card and summoned the Celtic Guardian to defend them.

“She has an item just like Anubis had all those years ago, and like the one around Hopekkins arm at the museum; and she knows who you are!  You have all your memories now you must know when you fought her just think!”

“There weren’t any other battles!  Next to Zorc all the others were just…border skirmishes.”

He stood there, for an instant, dumbstruck as it all finally came together.

“Of course how could I have been so stupid?”

“What? What is it?”

“That isn’t referring to a battle I had.  It is about a battle my father had.”

“But the legend said that Anubis was defeated by the one who possessed the millennium puzzle.”

“Yes, and my father wielded its powers long before I did.”

“When Anubis said he battled you he meant Aknamkanon.”

“Yes, it was a war between his kingdom and the Nubians and if they were somehow able to get their hands on the book during that time they could have made their own to combat him. It would explain why the puzzle looked so much like ours.”

“But they said he was the Lord of the Dead then how could he be their leader?”

“More like the lord of bringing about death, and besides things can misinterpreted you know that.”

“Fine, we got it wrong and the antagonism between the two areas was well known, but why now

“She obviously did not have access until now.  Those items and the millennium items are connected one cannot exist without the other. “

“So, when you were released again they were able to cross over too?”

“Exactly. Still they are different. If they did get a hold of the book, pages might have been missing words misspoken, a different process had to be used.  They certainly weren’t made with the same method they’re not as strong.”

“So, how do we defeat her?”

Before Atemu could respond the guardian was defeated, a shot hit near them and the rock crumbled beneath his feet; sending him down several feet to the ledge below. 

“Atemu!”

“I’m all right!”

The rocks shifted again and cut them off further. 

Yugi looked down the closest tunnel. “These are all inter connected I’ll find you!”

Atemu nodded and ran down another tunnel.

Their adversary kept after them slithering as many heads as would fit down the tunnels.

Yugi was able to summon several monsters successfully to fight her off, but it was barely holding back the onslaught.  He pushed his body hard as he tried to find an open chamber to have some kind of advantage again.  The Earth shook, rubble fell, and the shock knocked him to the ground.

He heard something crack and a moment later fiery pain raced up his left leg.  The cave in had made him safe for the moment, ironically, and he braced himself against the wall and looked at his ankle that was already starting to swell.  Cursing he grabbed a card from his deck.

“I summon the Dian Keto the Cure Master!”

A bright light surrounded his ankle and the pain lessened.  Yugi gently put his weight on it.  It was still very tender, but at least he could walk, sort of.

“I’m getting too old for this,” he grumbled, and limped down the cavern.

***

Atemu was fairing little better.  He deck down another tunnel as one the heads managed to sweep his feet out from under him and he slammed into the hard stone that made up the floor.  As he got up he felt liquid begin running down his face.  He touched it and his fingers came away covered in blood.

He got up quickly as he heard movement up ahead his hand tightened on the cards

Yugi came around the corner, a hand over his own deck.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Yugi cried out.

“Sorry.”

“Nice to see you’ve been doing so well without me.”

“It’s that bad?”

“No drying blood’s a good look for you.”

“And limping is really good for your posture.”

They started down another tunnel, Yugi leaning against him, and came out to find the monster full out in the open again.

“We should pull out the aces now while we still have a chance.”

“I agree.”

The easily found the familiar cards, just beginning to soften at the edges from years of use.

“I summon the Dark Magician!”

The spellcasters appeared before them, one of deep red and one purple.  Atemu looked at Yugi.

“What, I’m not allowed to make some changes?”

Both of them battled hard and held their own against the creature, but it soon became obvious they weren’t going to be enough to overcome it.

“This isn’t working!  We need to regroup and think of a better strategy!” 

“For the moment we have it distracted!  If I could only…can you lift me?”

Yugi looked at him as if he’d grown an extra head.

“You’re right, stupid question.”

“Better question, why should I?”

“If I could get to higher point to activate the card I might be able to immobilize it.  Hopefully we will have enough time to formulate a plan.”

Yugi nodded and quickly vaulted him high into the air.

“Swords of Revealing Light!”

The height and the magic had the desired effect as the monster now stood frozen before them.

“I’ve bought us some time perhaps now we can think of something more permanent.” 

“Well we can’t keep fighting it like this it’s like a hydra!  Every time we cut off one of its heads another three, come up in its place.  We have to get to the heart of the monster.”

“And once we do, then what?” Atemu asked.

“Then it’s your turn to think up an idea.”

Atemu concentrated for a moment. “Maybe we don’t have to take that risk.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The barriers between our realms have been weakened by my being here.  That is how all this is possible if I could seal it off properly again; she would be powerless.  It worked once before.”

“You can’t!” Yugi cried, grabbing his arm.

“I will do what must be done, Yugi.”

As Atemu made his way towards the beast Yugi felt the familiar dagger of pain as it pushed itself beneath his heart and it was made all the more painful by the new level their bond had reached. 

He thought back to the day Atemu had left, about what he had said then.

_“He doesn’t belong in our world.”_

He had been wrong Atemu did belong here because he was here.  He was Yugi and Yugi was Atemu, two halves of the same soul.  Only together could they truly be whole and have a bond of shadow and light, joy and sorrow, love and pain; a bond that never should have been broken all those years ago.

“My name is–”

“Don’t!”

Without another thought Yugi jumped on top of Atemu and pushed him to the floor.

“Yugi, what are you doing?”

“I lost you once, Atemu, I am not going to lose you again!”

“Yugi, it’s for the good of the entire world-”

“The world can go hang!  If you leave me again my world will not turn!  I don’t care if I have to fight the darkness until I’m old and grey as long as you are always by my side!”

Atemu sighed. “My greatest fear has been realized you are too dependent on me.”

“It is not a weakness to love you!  Just as it’s not a weakness for you to love me.  Being together doesn’t make us weak.  We come together to make greater stronger entity.”

“If that is true then why our duel?”

“Because we were ready to be separate, but not to be apart.  You said it yourself we don’t need each other anymore, but we want each other.”

Yugi twisted their bodies around and got his hand around to the back of Atemu’s head; pulling his face close to his.  

“That duel tested our readiness to separate, but it didn’t test our willingness to separate.”

He was right and Atemu knew it.  If he had not wanted to stay with Yugi then why had he fought so hard during their duel all those years ago?  He could have thrown it at any point saying that going to the afterlife was what he wanted and that Yugi didn’t need a duel to show how far he’d come, and that he was more than capable of living life without him.  He had fought because more than anything else he had wanted to stay even if it meant being trapped for another five thousand years.  Just to be able to be with Yugi for the rest of his natural life would have been enough to sustain him through the many centuries he would have faced without him.  He had released from the puzzle that had been his prison and-wait the puzzle that was it!

“The puzzle, Yugi, what happened to it after I left?”

Yugi was stuck silent by the abrupt change of subject before answering. “It disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“The room collapsed when you left the items fell into a hole made by the millennium stone.”

“The items were never destroyed?”

Yugi cast his mind back to those final days; trying to remember how it had been explained to him.  “Ishizu said that with you gone the items had been permanently sealed.  I can only assume-”

Atemu cut him off repeating his question more firmly, “but they were never destroyed?”

“No,” he said slowly, as it dawned on him what Atemu was trying to say.  “You don’t think we still could after all this time?”

“It might be the only thing we can do.”

“And how do you propose we get there?  I don’t see a lot of travel options.”

“You really are getting forgetful in your old age aren’t you?”

Atemu quickly pulled the necessary card from his deck and summoned the dragon.  Its body coiled around them and quickly filled the small space completely. 

“You know how to get us to travel in style.”

Both of them quickly climbed up on his back as the swords around their enemy slowly began fading.  Slifer took off and neither man dared to look back as dragon flew up out from the underground and propelled itself through the air towards their goal. 

They made it to the site of the ceremonial duel and Slifer blasted through the rubble that once made up the entrance to the battleground. Both men were thrown hard to the floor as Atemu’s connection faltered and the great dragon of the sky disappeared.

Yugi ran over to him as he stayed on his knees panting hard.

“I’m all right it-it’s just hard to maintain…an anchor of that size... without an item.”

Yugi carefully helped him up and they both looked over to the platform where they had faced each other so long ago.  The approached it quickly knowing their enemy was not far behind, and this was no time for nostalgia. 

They looked down into the seemingly infinite darkness where the stone had once being. “A bottomless pit of inky blackness, nice touch.”

With the help of their decks they reached the floor where the items now lay scattered in the dirt.  The scales, the ring, the necklace, but Atemu did not see that one they needed.

“I think we might have a problem.” 

He looked over to Yugi who let the pieces he had found fall to the ground where the millennium eye stared creepily out from the dirt.

Atemu sighed. “Just to make things more complicated.”

Still the quickly gathered together all of them that they could find.  Moving their hands over each other’s as the pieces began to slowly come together.

“Just like old times isn’t it?”

“You can’t tell me you haven’t missed them.”

“Maybe a little.”

Atemu smiled over the sound of clicking, the gold moving faster as the sides came together.

“If for some reason we don’t do our usual save the world routine you know I love you right?” Yugi asked.

“I do.”

The last piece slid into place.  Both of them just looked at the completed puzzle both hesitant about what it would mean for them about what it might mean for him 

“I’m willing to risk it, Yugi.”

Yugi nodded and removed a familiar chain that rested on his hips and slipped it through the hole at the top of the puzzle.  Both of them quickly put the chain around their necks.   

“We’re both strong and capable on our own you and me.”

“But we’ve always worked much better as a team!”

“Are you ready partner?”

“Let’s do this.” 

“YU GI OH!”

 

 


	15. End Game

_“Coming together is a beginning;_

_Keeping together is progress;_

_Working together is success,”_

_-Henry Ford_  

 

The merger was seamless.  For Yugi it was as if Atemu had never left.  The feeling of being alone with himself was no more.  They moved in sync as everything melded back together.  Well except for one big difference.  This time Atemu knew who he was and how to access all that was his as a king of the land above their head.  The power, the tremendous power, it pulsed through every vein of his body, it was intoxicating

‘Careful, Yugi, you’re supposed to be the one keeping me in check remember?’

‘Yeah…yeah right.’

He refocused and using a magic card from the deck they propelled themselves quickly out of the pit to confront the monster.

The monster itself barely fit into the space, pressing hard against the walls and raining down rocky debris.  They dodged the debris easily enough and got as close to their enemy as they dared.  There was no fear in their eyes now though, for now they were ready to face it.  They smirked and pulled the necessary card from the deck.  They flipped it over and admired the image on it, before speaking the needed chant.

“All mighty protector of the sun and sky, I beg of thee to hear my cry.  Transform thyself from orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight.  Grace this humble plain, when I call your name!  Winged Dragon of Ra!”

The golden dragon was nearly as large as the enemy, but Atemu knew how to even the odds even further.  He concentred on the link between them and their monster, letting grow it and absorb them together fully…and then swiftly attacking. 

Their lives were his and his body was theirs too.  Their combined strength slammed into the enemy and crushed it against the far wall.  But it was far from over and the monster fought back sinking it’s many fangs in wherever it could reach.  They felt the pain as jagged teeth sunk in deep, but they held on.  Digging Ra’s claws in too just as hard in return, and clamping its jaws around one of the snakes’ neck, ripping and tearing as much as possible.

And so the struggle went on until finally nothing was left but the seeping pool of black at the monster's feet.

Atemu separated them for Ra, panting hard, and Yugi could only watch as the puddle slowly dissolve into nothingness.   Ra flew up above them and disappeared in a shimmer of gold.  Then both men collapsed to their knees, exhausted.   

‘Did we win?’ Yugi asked.

“Of course we did partner.”

_Good_ he thought and then the world blissfully went dark.

***

Yugi opened his eyes slowly and was surprised to see before him not stone ruins, but the warm walls of his soulroom.   Getting up he explored the long forgotten room.  Gone were the toys and games of his youth.  In their place were stacks upon stacks of books, maps, and a few adult toys.  Yugi picked up a snow globe and shook it.  Wondering what Atemu’s room looked like now.  He walked across the familiar hall and found the other door open a crack, he pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped inside the room. 

_Looks like I’m not the only one who got a makeover._

There weren’t any stairs or doorways leading to nowhere to be seen anymore, instead there was just one room filled with statues, and pottery .  In the centre of the room Atemu sat on the large bed covered in fine linen staring at something in his hands.  He came over saw that it was a picture with several people in it.

“Who are they, Atemu?”

Atemu leaned back against Yugi.

“My family, Yugi.”

“You have brothers and sisters?”

“Yes, I am the youngest of six children.”

“Wow I didn’t- I mean I just always thought you were an only child.  But wait you can’t be the youngest and become pharaoh unless…oh, Atemu, I’m so sorry.”

Atemu shook his head.  “Don’t be I didn’t even know them until my own death anyway.”

“Do you miss them?”

“I do.”

Yugi sighed, he didn’t want Atemu to go…but if it was what he wanted.

“You could go back you know, we’re at the right place.”

Atemu set the picture aside.

“They will still be there when I return whether it is today or another 5000 thousand years from now.”

He shifted his body and wrapped his arms around Yugi tightly.

“You might not be.  I wish to remain in the here and now…I love you.”

Yugi closed his eyes and when he opened them again he was faced with Atemu just as solid as he was in the rubble of the chamber.

Atemu took off the puzzle and just stood there for a while, holding it in his hands.

“We don’t need this now.”

He walked over to where the stone had once been and let the puzzle fall back amongst the others from where it came.  Then Atemu stepped back and knelt down to pick up the fallen cards.

‘It’s still a nice view.’ Yugi thought.

‘I heard that.’

‘Hey, it’s still there!’

‘I know, so watch what you think.’

Yugi smiled at Atmeu, thankful for the souvenir.

“Come on we should get out of here before they come looking for us.”

Atemu looked at him quizzically.

“You don’t want them to document this site?” he asked.

“We should leave it here for someone else to find.”

“You could claim the discovery as your own you know.”

Yugi shook his head. “I can’t go finding all this stuff it makes me look like a hog.  Besides if anyone makes the connection between the items and what I used to do they’ll come looking for me, and I need some time to think up my answers.”

“Of course.”  

Yugi glanced at him and smirked.

“But you and I have some business to finish first.”

Atemu nodded and he and Yugi turned their duel disks back on.  Both of them shuffled and set their cards in the disks and then turned to face each other.

***

Two weeks later papers were scattered across the kitchen table in several piles with Yugi almost buried in the wreckage. “I can’t do this, Atemu!” he yelled in frustration, tossing a pen to the floor.

 “Why are you having such a hard time with this?" Atmeu from his spot on the couch.  Sorting his deck while thier duel desks sat out on the table.  They had yet to be reset from the last duel, both of them still read zero.  "It’s just a lecture outline for an introductory course.”

“Yeah, a course almost always filled with freshmen who are probably an even less cooperative bunch then when I taught as a student teacher.” Yugi sighed. “This is why I like sand.  Sand moves and responds to you, it doesn’t use your class to check their e-mail, and text, and practice sleeping with their eyes open!  Why did I ever agree to do this?”

“Because you’re a self-deprecating martyr who will do anything to help another person even when it’s a stupid idea.”

Atemu didn’t duck fast enough to avoid the paper ball that came flying towards him.

“Cheeky.”

“You’ll do just fine, Yugi, you always do, and you’re avoiding your real problem you know that.”

He sighed. “I know, I know. I just…how do I even begin to explain all of this to them?  It’s just easier not to start.” 

“Easier yes, but not right, they deserve to know.  Yugi, you’ll feel much better if you just get it over with you know you will.”

Yugi scowled and grabbed the phone.  He started dialling as Atemu got up, walked over to the stairs, and sat down.  

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not going to be in range when they yell at you.  I like my hearing just as it is thank you.”

“Coward.”

Still Yugi stood there and let the phone ring before hearing a familiar gruff voice on the other end of the line.

“Hello Game Shop.”   

“Hi, Grandpa, it's me.”

There was silence and then a call to someone else on Grandpa’s end. “You can call off the man hunt, Joey, he just called.”

“Gimme that!”

Yugi cringed at the outburst he knew was coming, and was not disappointed. 

“Just where the hell do you get off buddy ignoring us like this!?”

“Nice to hear from you too, Joe.”

“Don’t play nice with me, Yug’!  Ya get all famous and forget the little people is that it?”

“No it’s just… well it’s complicated!”

“Yeah, yeah, well I’ve got great news so you’re partially off ta hook this time.”

“What’s the news?”

“I’m getting married!”

Atemu sat up on the stair. “He’s what!”

“She said yes?”

“I know I couldn’t believe it either at first.”

“Congratulations when’s the wedding?”

“Next month.”

“That soon?”

“Well if _somebody_ had called earlier I coulda given you more notice.”

“Sorry.”

“You’ll come though right?”

“Well, of course I can come.”

“Great and we’ll be sure to give you all the hard labour for not calling.”

“You got it, Joe.”

“All right, Yugi, I’ll see you when you get here.”

“Yeah-oh, hey can I bring a guest?”

“Sure, is she hot?”

Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes. “That is none of your business.”

“Come on, Yug, don’t I even get a hint?”

“Hmm, let me think about it…no, but trust me you’ll like them.”

“Fine, but I expect all the good and gory details when you get here.”

“Talk to you later-”

“You better!”

“I promise…bye, Joe.”

Atemu just sat there smiling.

“See it wasn’t so hard was it?”

“Shut up, and start packing.”

***

The trip was set up is short order and so far the flight had been uneventful if one didn’t count Atemu’s nervous fidgeting in his seat and eating every snack he could get his hands on. 

Yugi looked away from the window and watched Atemu fiddled with his hands.

“I get the feeling you are uneasy.”

“Absolutely not… are you going to finish that?” he asked, eyeing Yugi’s bag of peanuts.

Yugi smiled in amusement and handed over his snack. “Now who’s the worrywart?”

“It’s been ten years, what if they don’t want anything to do with me?”

“Why shouldn’t they?” Yugi asked as he kissed his cheek. “I did.” 

***

The plane landed without incident, and as the crowd of people departed the craft Yugi craned his neck to see above the other passengers.  Looking for the people he knew were here, there were always here; as Atemu wandered off to the baggage claim.

“Yugi!”

They turned out to find him first as Yugi suddenly found himself with an armful of young woman as Téa ran up and hugged him.

“Hey, Téa, it’s been a long time.”

“I missed you.”

“Me too.”

“And I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

Before Téa could answer they were enveloped in a group hug and Tristan grabbed him in headlock, and Joey reminded Yugi how much trouble he was in for not calling.

“It’s great to see everyone again." 

“It’s wonderful to see you too Yugi, I’m sure you have a very good reason for not talking to us for so long,” Grandpa said, only half-joking.

“I do actually I’ve been busy out there and I found something that I thought might interest you guys-” he was cut off as a large bag was shoved into his arms.

“Here!  Carry you own luggage; some of us don’t bench press two hundred pounds for fun.”

There was stunned silence for a moment before shocked babbling broke out.

“No way!”

“It’s not possible.”

Atemu, his hands shaking slightly, pulled his sunglasses down and looked over the top of the rims.   

“Hello.”

The End


End file.
